


If We Were A Movie...

by Jmdavis25



Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King
Genre: F/M, Fix-It of Sorts, Jumping on the bandwaggon, M/M, Multiple Pairings, watching the movies
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-27
Updated: 2020-04-08
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:41:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 39,379
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22916401
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jmdavis25/pseuds/Jmdavis25
Summary: A powerful source makes the residents of Derry watch scenes from IT and IT Chapter 2 in order to stop Pennywise and save the missing kids before they go missing.
Relationships: Ben Hanscom/Beverly Marsh, Beverly Marsh/Tom Rogan, Bill Denbrough/Audra Phillips, Bill Denbrough/Beverly Marsh, Connor Bowers/Richie Tozier, Eddie Kaspbrak/Myra Kaspbrak, Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier, Patricia Blum Uris/Stanley Uris, Steve Covall/Richie Tozier
Comments: 100
Kudos: 175





	1. The Beginning/Richie The Comedian

**Author's Note:**

> So I saw the fics where the IT characters watched themselves and thought to myself, I want to do this too. With the IT Chapter 2 lines, some of them might be slightly wrong because I couldn't find a script and so I'm literally writing the lines while watching the movie. Also the scenes are NOT always in the same order as the movie. I thought it would be more fun this way. :)

A woman shook her head furiously as she watched the scene take place in front of her. “No. No this isn’t happening. It isn’t right!”

“Caroline-”

“Don’t _Caroline_ me! You just showed me these kids. These innocent kids be victimized for nothing! You’ve been making me watch these for an eternity Maturin! And we can stop this. I’m done letting kids die!”

“We can’t stop-’

“Yes we can!” Caroline interrupted him before glaring at him. “We can and I know just how to do it.” 

Caroline snapped her fingers causing a bolt of lightning to hit the Aladdin. Normally capacity was only fifty three people. Now there was no capacity.

\---

“What the fuck is going on?” Richie Tozier asked as he, Bill, Stanley, and Eddie were transported into the Aladdin. They had been in Bill’s basement playing Monopoly with Bradley Donnovon, now they were somehow in the Aladdin with Bradley nowhere to be seen. 

“This isn’t possible.” Stan spoke up halfway in shock. He looked around the theater, noticing that probably every student from the Derry school district was in there. But the only people in the front row were himself, Richie, Bill, Eddie, Beverly Marsh, the new kid who’s name he could never remember, and the homeschool kid.

 _“I’m sorry for doing this.”_ Caroline’s voice echoed throughout the theaters. “ _You have to know what will happen. You have to know how to stop it. You need to save your children and the children need to be able to save themselves.”_

Before anyone could say anything else, the lights went down and music began playing. The Words October 1988 came onto the screen.

"October 1988?" Stan asked. "That's two weeks away."

“Is that me and G-G-Georgie?” Bill asked as the others looked at him, “Wh-what is this?”

Eddie looked at Bill before looking back at the screen. “I don’t know. But I don’t think we’re gonna like it.”

**Georgie: Sure I won't get in trouble, Bill?**

**Bill: Don't be a wuss. I'd come with you if I weren't dying.** **_[he coughs]_ **

**Georgie: You're not dying!**

**Bill: You didn't see the v-v-vomit coming out of my nose this morning?**

**Georgie: That's disgusting.**

**Bill: Okay, go get the wax.**

**Georgie: In the cellar?**

**Bill: You want it to f-f-float, don’t you?**

**Georgie: [** **_he sighs]_ ** **Fine.** **_[he walks out of the room and into the cellar.]_ **

**Bill: [from walkie-talkie] Georgie. Hurry up.**

**Georgie: Where’s the wax? Where’s the wax? [He grabs the wax and returns back to Bill’s room]**

**Bill: Alright. There you go. S-s-she’s all ready captain.**

**Georgie: She?**

**Bill: You always call b-b-boats she.**

**Georgie: She. Thanks Billy. See you later! Bye!**

**Bill: [From walkie-talkie] Be careful.**

"Why did it c-cu-cut there?" Bill asked. "Why did it-"

**September 1989**

**Beverly: I saw all of us, all of us were there. Back in the cistern. But we were older. We were our parents’ ages.**

**Richie: Am I still handsome as an adult?**

**Beverly: You grow into your looks**

**Richie: What the fuck does that mean?**

**Stanley: What about me?**

**Beverly: (Looks down before hesitantly answering) Like now, but taller.**

**Bill: Swear it. Swear if it IT isn’t dead. If IT ever comes back. We’ll come back too.**

**Mike: (Voiceover) Memory it’s a funny thing. People wanna believe they are what they choose to remember. The good stuff. The moments. The places. The people we all hold on to. But sometimes … Sometimes, we are what we wish we could forget.**

The lights rose momentarily and the future members of what would come to be known as the loser’s club looked at each other. Why were they all together? What was happening to Beverly at the beginning of the second clip? What the fuck was going on?

“What does this mean?” Ben asked. Even if it seemed..weird. At least he was going to be doing something weird with other people instead of just hanging around in the library like he'd been doing. He hated that it looked bad, but he hated even more that he was glad that it had caused him to have friends. “Is this actually the future?”

“Where’s G-G-Georgie? Did he ever come back?” Bill asked looking frantically at everyone in the row. “Why wasn’t h-he there with us!”

“Relax Bill. He’s probably at home playing with a train or something. It’s not like this is real anyway.” Richie stated calmly.

_“Are you sure about that Richie?”_

Richie sunk back into his seat. “How does that voice thing know my name?”

_“I know everything Richie. Would you like to see?”_

**[A man runs out of a building and vomits off the side of the building another man follows]**

**Steve: Dude what the fuck you were fine like five seconds ago? Who was that? Who called huh? Rich? Rich talk to me.**

“That’s me?” Richie asked sinking further back into his seat. He looked to his left where Eddie was sitting. Was it possible that this guy was Eddie? He certainly looked like he could be. And he didn’t like how concerned that guy sounded about him. He didn’t like how close he got. 

“That’s gross! Do you know how many people you could have hit with your vomit?” Eddie asked shaking his head at Richie. 

“Hey don’t blame me! Blame.” Richie looked back at the screen. “Other me?”

“It’s still you dumbass.” Stan stated.

“Well-”

**Steve: [Hands Richie a handkerchief] You’re on in two minutes. You good? Cause you look not good.**

**Richie: I’m fine.**

**Steve: You’re fine. Okay. And we’re walking, we’re walking.**

**Stagehand: Sixty seconds**

**Steve: Even faster. Can you get him a bottle of water?**

**Richie: Bourbon.**

**Steve: Bourbon, sure, sure.**

**Richie: And a mint.**

**Steve: Showtime!**

**Richie: I don’t think I can do this.**

**Steve: Yeah you can, you’re a killer. You’re a killer!**

**Richie: [Stagehand hands him his drink] That was fast. [He downs the entire thing. He tries to leave out the emergency exit but Steve pushes him forward]**

**Steve: This way this way.**

**Richie: Alright, how do I look?**

**Steve: Your hands are shaking Rich.**

**Richie: Shit.**

**[Voice]: Ladies and gentleman, please welcome: Richie Tozier!**

**Richie: [Waves and goes on stage to cheers. He stops in front of the microphone] Alright! How’re we doing tonight! So my girlfriend caught me uh masturbating to her friends’ Facebook page and uh so now I’m in masturbaters anonymous. And I stand up at the first meeting and I say my name is Richie Trashmouth….Trashmouth uh. I forgot the joke.**

**Audience member: You suck!**

Richie stared at the screen in shock. Firstly he was a comedian and that was fucking awesome. Secondly, he had a girlfriend which meant...which meant he didn’t have to worry anymore. But apparently something was bothering him and what the fuck was a Facebook page? And was the cute guy that was following him Eddie? It had to be, right? He and Eddie were always going to be together...not like that, but like in a totally non gay-best friends way. He felt his friends' eyes on him and knew he had to say something..

“I never want to hear any of you say I’m not funny again.” Richie stated making himself smirk. “I’m gonna be a professional comedian.”

“Did you hear the person that told you that you sucked?” Stan asked. “That’s gonna be me.”

_“Not if Bob has anything to say about it Stanley.”_

Stanley looked around and swallowed slowly. “What-what does that mean?”

_“I’ll show you what’ll happen. I’ll show you everything.”_


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter we have the original four losers on the last day of school and Adrian Mellon's scene.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again with the IT 2 scenes the wording may not be exactly correct because I'm literally writing and watching at the same time. Lastly, we've all seen the Adrian scene, the hateful speech is present.

Damn it Maturin! I was only going to show them that summer!” Caroline exclaimed as she came back into the room. “I leave for ten minutes and you show Richie his future?”

“You said that we were going to show them how to defeat Bob. _They_ don’t beat him. Adults beat him, adults that have lived through things. If they’re going to beat Bob, they need to know everything.”

“We are _not_ going to show them everything! We aren’t going to tell a child that he kills himself! That a child ends up an abusive marriage! We’re not going to out a child who hasn’t even realized that he’s gay yet!”

Maturin glared at Caroline. “You seem to be forgetting who is in charge here. If you want to tell them, if you want to save those children from the futures they have, we _have_ to show them everything. Or else, we show them nothing. It’s up to you.”

Caroline closed her eyes and sighed before pressing the play button.

* * *

The man’s voice echoed through Stanley’s mind. What did he mean when he said he wouldn’t be there making fun of Richie? Was he implying that he died? Was he going to die before he was forty? 

“Stanley.”

Stanley looked to see Beverly Marsh standing in front of him with a sympathetic look on her face. They had never really talked much before...Did she think he was dying too? Was she there to offer herself to him like she had done to so many other boys around school? “H-hi Beverly.”

“It’s gonna be okay you know, just breathe.”

Stanley gave her a curious look before the lights dimmed again. This time showing the words Summer of 1989. Eddie, Richie, and Bill were walking out of a classroom.

**Eddie: So, there's this church full of Jews, right? And Stan has to take this super Jewy test.**

**Bill: But how's it work?**

**Eddie: They slice the tip of his dick off.**

**Richie: But then Stan will have nothing left!**

**_[behind them,_** **_Stanley walks out of a classroom]_**

**Eddie: That's true.**

Stanley glared at Richie and Eddie. “That’s not true. At a Bar Mitzvah, you read from the-”

“Stan I’m pretty sure you’re about to explain it up there.” Eddie interrupted him.

**Stanley: _[running up to them]_ Wait up, you guys!**

**Bill: Hey, Stan, what happens at the Bar Mitzvah, anyways? Eds says they slice the tip of your d-d-dick off.**

**Richie: Yeah, and I think the rabbi's gonna pull down your pants, turn to the crowd and say "Where's the beef?" _[the four of them laugh]_**

**Stanley: At the Bar Mitzvah, I read from the Torah, and then I make a speech and suddenly, I become a man.**

**Richie: I could think of funner ways to become a man.**

**Stanley: "More fun" you mean.**

**Richie: Oh, shit. _[The boys go past Henry Bowers and his minions: Belch, Vic, and Patrick; Henry stands there with his arms folded, Belch and Patrick smile malevolently at them, and Vic merely gives them a threatening stare]_ Think they'll sign my yearbook? "Dear Richie, sorry for taking a hot, steaming shit in your backpack last March. Have a good summer."**

“Well that’s something to look forward to.” Richie mumbled as he sat back in his seat again.

Stanley rolled his eyes momentarily forgetting about his maybe being dead in 28 years, “What, did you think that suddenly we’d become invisible to Henry Bowers?”

“Well maybe not you guys, but come on! I become a famous comedian!”

“You blew your show Trashmouth and all of it is probably dick jokes.” Eddie stated before shaking his head.

Richie smirked and elbowed Stan. “So Stan can’t relate then.”

Bill sighed. “Beep beep R-R-Richie.”

_The boys are dumping the contents of their backpacks into the trashcan._

**Stanley: Best feeling ever.**

**Richie: Yeah? Try tickling your pickle for the first time.**

**Eddie: Hey, what do you guys wanna do tomorrow?**

**Richie: I start my training.**

**Eddie: Wait, what training?**

**Richie: _Street Fighter_.**

**Eddie: Is that how you wanna spend your summer? Inside of an arcade?**

**Richie: Beats spending it inside of your mother. _[does a thumbs-down]_ Oh!**

**Stanley: _[lowering Richie's arm]_ What if we go to the quarry?**

**Bill: Guys, we have the B-b-barrens.**

**Stanley: Right.**

**Eddie: Betty Ripsom's mom. _[they turn to look at Mrs. Ripsom, standing next to a police officer, with Sheriff Bowers,_** **_Henry's dad, a few feet away]_ **

**Stanley: Is she really expecting to see her come out of that school?**

“W-w-what’s wrong with B-B-Betty?”

Stanley turned around, realizing again that the theater had more people in it other than him, his friends, and if the movie was right, his future friends. He scanned through sea of people before spotting a terrified Betty Ripsom.

**Eddie: I don't know. As if Betty Ripsom's been hiding at Home Ec. for the last few weeks.**

**Stanley: You think they'll actually find her?**

**Richie: Sure. In a ditch. All decomposed, covered in worms and maggots. Smelling like Eddie's mom's underwear.**

“Shut up that freaking disgusting!” Eddie shouted causing some of the occupants of the theater to laugh.

**Eddie: Shut up! That's freaking disgusting.**

Stanley snickered as Richie smirked at Eddie. “I guess you’re a psychic Eds. When were you gonna tell us?”

“Shut up Richie.”

**Bill: She's not dead. She's m-m-missing.**

**Richie: Sorry, Bill. She's missing. You know the Barrens aren't that bad. Who doesn't love splashing around in shitty water? _[Patrick walks out behind them; without warning, Henry grabs Richie and pushes him into Stan, knocking them both to the ground; Stan's hat falls off: Patrick picks it up]_**

**Patrick: Nice Frisbee, flamer.**

**Stanley: Give it back! _[Patrick laughs evilly and throws it through the window of a passing school bus]_**

**Patrick: Fucking losers!**

**_[Belch burps at Eddie]_ **

From a distance everyone hears a woman scream like someone had just tore her arm out of socket and if Eddie wouldn't have been so traumatized by seeing someone _BURP_ on him, he would have recognized who exactly the woman was.

**Henry: _[bumping Bill as he and his friends walk away]_ Loser.**

**Bill: _[stuttering angrily]_ You s-s-suck, Bowers!**

**Eddie: _[knowing better than to pick a fight with Henry Bowers]_ Shut up, Bill. **

**_[Henry, Belch, and Patrick turn around]_ **

**Henry: _[mockingly]_ You s-s-s-say something, Bi-Bi-Bi-Billy? You got a free ride this year 'cause of your little brother. _[approaches Bill]_ Ride's over, Denbrough. _[Henry looks to his father, who takes off his glasses and looks at his son with a stern facial expression that says "Leave him alone, son."]_ This summer's gonna be a hurt train for you and your faggot friends. _[runs his hand along his tongue and wipes it on Bill's cheek; he, Belch, and Patrick walk off to Belch's car, where Vic is waiting, and the four of them get in the car]_**

**Richie: I wish he'd go missing.**

**Eddie: He's probably the one doing it.**

"Do you have a death wish Bill?" Richie asked looking across Stan to look directly into Bill's eyes. "You know we can't talk to Bowers like that!"

"S-S-Someone has to." Bill replied with the same intensity that Richie had asked him the question with.

Eddie felt his cheek and shuttered. "He burped on my face."

Stan looked down, not being able to focus on what had just happened like everyone else was, and waited for the scene of him as an adult. That had to be what was next, right? That’s what had happened with Richie. His eyes widened when he saw a young man-which unless he looked that young at forty, was not him.

**Carnie:** **The first one to pop their balloon’s the winner! It could be anyone! We gotta real barn burner here! It’s getting close who’s gonna catch the leader! Who’s gonna be the big winner tonight?! Oh yeah! Winner, winner, chicken dinner!**

**Adrian:** **Thank you!**

**Don:** **Wow you uh really showed ‘em.**

**Adrian:** **I did. (Turns to sad girl-Vicky) Hey. Girl you want this? (She takes the prize and he leans to her ear to whisper) Thanks for letting me win**

**Vicky’s Mom:** **What’d you get Vicky?**

**Don:** **(Pulls hat out of his back pocket) Well here is your consolation prize**

**Adrian:**

**Look at that. I have never been an admirer of The Beavers. But look at this cap, great. (Adrian leans in and kisses Don) Thank you.**

Richie snickered despite feeling a sense of relief that maybe _maybe_ in the future guys could do that. Even though he knew that wasn’t Stanley he turned to him and elbowed him. “Got yourself a man Stan?”

“That’s not me Richie.” Stanley rolled his eyes. “Be glad I’m not, I’d steal all the guys from you.”

Richie froze momentarily before forcing a laugh. “Real funny Stan. We all know I’m a ladies man. Well a one lady man just ask Eddie’s mom.”

“Ugh shut up Richie.”

**Don:** **So we need to talk logistics**

**Adrian:** **Oooo how romantic**

**Homophobe 1:** **Romantic? What’s so fucking romantic, huh?**

**Homophobe 2:** **Hey, your mama’s never teach you to respond to someone when they ask you a fucking question?**

**Don:** **Come on Adrian**

**Homophobe 2:** **Gotta problem faggot?**

Richie held in a sigh. Of course it wasn’t more accepted. It was just a stupid fantasy—which didn’t apply to him because he was totally 100% straight. He _might_ even see if Beverly Marsh wants to hold his hand later. That was romantic, right?

**Adrian:** **I don’t, but Meg Ryan called she wants her wig back,**

**Don:** **Alright, alright. Come on Adrian. (They walk until they’re at the kissing bridge) Stuff like that is why I have to leave this shithole town. Small minds.**

**Adrian:** **Small dicks.**

**Don:** **I’m being serious. We belong elsewhere. Look if you end up hating New York we can always move back here.**

**Adrian:** **I just want to be with you. I don’t care. New York, Derry, whatever its-**

**Don:** **You have to say that.**

**Adrian:** **I don’t have to say anything.**

**Homophobe 2:** **Take off that fucking hat. We don’t want to give people the impression we allow fucking fairies like you in this town.**

**Adrian:** **He was born here asshole.**

**Don:** **All right, let’s go.**

**Adrian:** **No. you know what, I’ll take off the hat for you but why leave it there? Anything you would like me to take off for you tonight? Any special requests ladies?**

**(Homophobe 2 punches Adrian and the homophobe group begins beating him up)**

**Don:** **Let him go!**

**Homophobe 3:** **What’s that? (Adrian is shaking an aspirator) Don’t think you’ll be needing that.**

**Don:** **Leave him alone!**

**Homophobe 1:** **Hit him!**

**Don:** **He’s got asthma fucker!**

Richie looked over at Eddie and without being able to help himself he grabbed Eddie’s arm. “Do you-do you think that’s your son?”

“What?”

“He has asthma.”

“Is asthma genetic?” Stanley asked.

“I-I don’t know.” Eddie looked at the screen and tilted his head. Maybe that guy-Adrian apparently, could be his son but that would mean he never got out of Derry.

**Homophobe 1:** **(Laughs as Adrian is continued to be beaten up by homophobe 3) Come on! Fuck him up!**

**Homophobe 4: Come on kick him!** **Kick the shit out of him!**

**Don:** **Adrian!**

**Adrian: I still hate your fucking hair**

**Don: Adrian! Get the fuck off him!**

**Homophobe 1: (Laughing) Look what you did to his fucking face!**

**Homophobe 2: Hey! Hey! Help me get him up!**

**Don: Adrian!**

**Homophobe 2: Help me get this fucker up now! (He and homophobe 3 get Adrian up and begin walking to the side of the bridge) Give me the hat Chris.**

**Homophobe 1/Chris: It’s fucking mine!**

**Homophobe 2: I said give me the fucking hat! (Chris pulls off the hat and begins walking towards them to give it to them)**

**Don: Adrian!**

**Homophobe 2: Welcome to Derry mother fucker. (Pushed Adrian of the side of the bridge)**

**Don: (Still being held by Homophobe 4) No Adrian! No! (All the homophobes run away. Don struggles to get up before rushing to where they threw Adrian off the bridge) Adrian!**

**Adrian: (Struggling to keep himself from going underwater) Help! Help me! (In the distance a clown comes into frame) Somebody fucking help me! (The clown reaches his arm out for Adrian to take as Don runs down to try and help)**

**Don: (Looks around the water before spotting Adrian in the clown’s arms) Adrian. (The clown smiles before his face transforms and he bites Adrian) No! (The clown looks over at Don, his face covered in his now dead boyfriend’s blood) Adrian! (Several red balloons begin floating in the air)**

“What is this?” Beverly asked her eyes wide with fear. She looked to her left, where the new kid was sitting, and then to her right, where Eddie Kaspbrak was sitting. “This-this can’t be true. Can it?”

“Of course not.” Eddie replied despite not believing himself when he said that.

Ben looked at Beverly’s hand, which was shaking and contemplated trying to hold it before deciding against it. “I-I don’t think it’s real either.”

“Why are we seeing this?” Mike asked. He never talked to any of the kids from Derry apart from when they would run into each other and maybe say ‘hi’ and Bowers, who was not very fun to interact with.

“I th-th-think someone is trying to warn us.” Bill stated

“Or scare us.” Stan looked over at Richie who despite loving scary movies, looked scared shitless. Even like he might be about to cry. “Are you okay Richie?”

Richie felt everyone look at him and slowly nodded his head despite feeling himself shake all over. Is that what would happen? Richie silently gulped, if someone knew what he thought sometimes, would that happen to him? “I-I’m good. It doesn’t look worse than Eddie’s mom in the morning.”

“He’s fine.” Eddie groaned. “And beep fucking beep Richie.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this was originally going to include Mike's beginning scenes in both movies, Bev's opening scene in IT Chapter 1, and the call to Stanley but I figured that would cause this chapter to be too long. I'm really glad that so many people seem to be enjoying this! Also if anyone has any tips on how to make this more enjoyable I'd love to hear them!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Discoveries, Stan's Phone Call, Garbage, Practice, and Sheep...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so during Beverly's scene I gave the two girls names from the book. I figure that they would know who they were so putting them as girl 1 and girl 2 seemed weird.

**_Cut to a farm on the edge of town; a herd of sheep are in the barn; a farm worker pushes one of them forward; Mike points a bolt gun at it; his grandfather, Leroy, is pressuring him to slaughter the sheep.]_ **

**Leroy:** **Pull it, Mike. Go on now, pull it. _[Mike is reluctant; his grandfather takes the gun and shoots the sheep, then throws the used-up bolt in a bucket, then hands the gun to his aide]_ Here, reload it. You need to start taking more responsibility around here, Mike. Your dad was younger than you when he took--**

 **Mike:** **I'm not my dad, okay?**

 **Leroy:** **[somewhat understanding] Yeah. Look at me, son. Look at me! There are two places you can be in this world. You can be out here like us or you can be in there, like them. You waste time hemming and hawing, and someone else is gonna make that choice for you. Except you won't know it, until you feel that bolt between your eyes. _[He walks away; his aide raises the gate so another sheep can be slaughtered]_**

“You know, it-it’s okay not to wanna kill sheep.” Ben stated reluctantly to Mike. He had never talked to him before, so he wasn’t exactly sure how the home school kid would take it. But he looked afraid, like he needed a friend. He could relate to that.

“He’s right you know.” Beverly spoke up. She still wasn’t sure of the new kids name even though she knew they had a class together. Maybe it was Jim-or Matt. It was something short, she knew that.

“Thanks.” Mike replied softly not looking up from the ground. He had been expecting his grandfather to give him more responsibility soon. He just really wasn’t looking forward to it. He loved the animals. He actually wanted to become a veterinarian. At least, that was his plan as of now. He was going to get married, move to Florida, have a million dogs and cats-or as many as he could take care of.

**Mike: (Voiceover): Sometimes what we wish was forgotten, what we try to leave in the past, won’t stay there. (The camera pans to a loft. An alarm goes off revealing an African American man jolting awake. Voices are heard on the radio)**

**Cop 1: Units please respond we’re getting reports of a body found dismembered.**

**Cop 2: Uh come back with, dismembered?**

**Cop 1: That’s affirmative. (Mike hurries off his chair and towards the radio. Cop 1 continues to talk but it statics too much to understand)**

Mike looked at the screen with confusion, the picture of his grandfather in the loft had confirmed what he had already suspected, the man in the loft was him. He looked across the row where every other kid that seemed to be involved in this was sitting. They had seen Richie’s future, he had just thought that they would see Stanley’s next since one of the voices had actually talked to him. Unless-future Richie got a call, that’s what made him upset. Maybe they needed to show this part before Stanley’s.

He glanced back at the screen and tried to analyze his future with the little bit of details he had been given. It looked like in the future he was a cop, or at the very least someone who liked to listen to the police scanner and living in Derry? He held in a sigh, of course he was never getting out.

"Wait, why do you look so much better than me homeschool?" Richie asked, seemingly understanding that the guy on the screen was in fact older Mike. "I mean _I'm_ a comedian-"

"Will you shut up? Can you do that dickwad?" Eddie snapped.

"Your Mom likes my mouth open."

"That is _so_ disgusting Richie-"

"Be quiet! B-b-both of you!" Bill shouted. Truth be told he was still shaken up from not knowing what happened to Georgie. So putting up with Richie and Eddie's bickering was really not what he wanted to deal with right now.

"Sorry Bill." Both boys replied in unison.

**Cop 2: Copy that (Mike turns up the radio)**

**Cop 1: Affirmative, chief says to tape off the Derry Street Bridge**

**Mike: (Voiceover) Sometimes, it comes back for you. (Mike runs out of his loft. The next scene shows him at the crime scene. He finds a popped balloon saying ‘I Heart Derry’ He looks up and sees ‘Come Home Come Home Come Home’ spelled out on the bridge in blood. He staggers back)**

Mike’s eyes widened as he put together the rest of the puzzle in his head. The clown-the clown was after them. “Why us?”

“Huh?” Beverly asked as she held her arms around herself still slightly shaken from the scene.

“Why is the clown after us? What did we do?”

 _“You have the gift Mr. Hanlon.”_ Caroline stated, she still didn’t like that they were showing the kids this. But unfortunately it was necessary. “ _You all have it. That is why all of you can stop this from happening.”_

"What kind of gift?" Ben asked blinking as if it would make Caroline appear in front of him--she didn't.

_"All in good time Mr. Hanscom."_

**Gretta: Are you in there by yourself, Beaver-ly? Or do you have half the guys in the school with you, huh, slut? _[Beverly puts out her cigarette on the wall]_ I know you're in there, little shit. I can smell you. No wonder you don't have any friends. **

**_[Sally proceeds to get a trash bag loose from the sink]_ **

**Beverly: Which is it, Gretta? Am I a slut or a little shit? Make up your mind.**

**Gretta: You're trash. _[Sally pulls the trash bag out of the trash can and into the adjacent stall]_ We just wanted to remind you. **

**Marcia: Such a loser. _[Beverly looks up to see her tilting the trash bag over the wall; Beverly immediately grabs her backpack and holds it above her head as disgusting garbage rains down on her]_**

**Gretta: Well, at least now you'll smell better.**

**Sally: Gross.**

**Gretta: Let's go, girls. _[the girls walk out laughing]_ Have a nice summer, Beaver-ly. **

**_[Beverly lowers her trash-covered backpack in disgust]_ **

**Marcia: Pathetic.**

Beverly sighed and shook her head. Cowering in her seat slightly. Wasn’t this supposed to be about Stanley, Richie, or even Mike? What was the point of showing her, being humiliated of course, when it was supposed to be explaining what happened to Stanley? She looked down before looking up when she felt a hand on her knee.

"You didn't deserve that Beverly."

Beverly looked up and smiled at Ben. She still didn't know the new kid's name, and for that she kind of felt bad, but she was grateful to him for being nice to her. Nobody really had been before...

"They're pa-pa-pathetic Beverly."

Beverly looked away from Ben, not realzing the chubby boy's falling face when she did so, and smiled at Bill. "Thanks Bill."

"A-a-anytime."

**Stanley: (Reading in front of his father) Baruk atah Adonai, eloheynu meleek**

Stanley’s cheeks reddened. He was still learning pronunciation but the fact that he still couldn’t say it in June was a little embarrassing, especially in front of his father. He made a mental note to try and study when he got home…if he ever did get home.

**Donald: Melehk. Start again.**

**Stanley: Baruk atah Adonai, eloheynu melehk... melehk...**

**Donald: Ha‘olam...**

**Stanley: Ha’olam, asher bahkar mikal..**

**Donald: Banu mikal! You’re not studying, Stanley. You’re not studying and yet this is exactly what this time is about... Taking responsibility for one’s own religious life. If you don’t want to study for you, think of your mother. Think of me. How is it going to look if the Rabbi’s son can’t even finish his reading? Do you want to bring shame on me and your mother, after all we’ve done for you?**

**Stanley: No, sir**

**Donald: Or on people of this Synagogue?**

**Stanley: No, sir**

**Donald: On yourself?**

**Stanley: No, sir**

**Donald: Your actions say otherwise. (Stanley’s eyes fill with tears and his father hands him the scroll.) Put the scroll away. No one up here is using it anyway.**

**Ashamed, Stanley walks down the old, molding stone stairs to the basement of the synagogue. He finds his scholar’s study. Rabbinical papers, journals, and books. So many books. On one of the walls hangs a PAINTING: Judith. Standing naked, holding her sword in one hand and the decapitated, bloody head of Holofernes in the other. Stanley glances up at Judith as he passes with the scroll. Like he can’t help himself. Even though he’d rather not. Creak... Behind him, the Door to the Mikveh OPENS. A darkness beyond, seems to beckon him. Stanley steps toward. Like he might enter. But instead -- He SLAMS the door shut.** **Spooked.**

"What just happened?" Stanley asked as he stepped out of his seat. "What is this?! I-I don't want to see this anymore!"

"Will you get over it! At least you're alive!" Betty Ripsom shouted, once again reminding Stanley that there were more people in the theater.

Richie stood up, presumably about to defend Stan, but Stan shook his head before shouting. "Well you didn't have to see that happen! This-it-this is crazy!"

"Stan it's okay." Richie whispered putting his hand on his friend's shoulder. "We can change this. That's why they're showing us this."

Stanley looked at Richie unconvinced. "But what if it still does?!"

"Then at least w-w-we're all still together." Bill spoke up in his natural calming voice while Richie squeezed Stanley's shoulder.

"Look at the little flamers!" Henry snickered. Richie immediately took his hand off of Stanley's shoulder and returned to his seat, while Stanley did the same.

**The camera pans to a middle aged man with glasses on a couch doing a puzzle. It’s nearly finished. There is a blond woman in the background, also with glasses, sitting at a bar on a laptop.**

**Patricia: Should I just book it? You’re sure you can get away from work?**

**Stanley: It’s summer, why not?**

**Patricia: Okay! We are Buenos Aries bound!**

**Stanley drops a puzzle piece and gets off the couch to pick it up off the ground. While he is reaching for it, his phone rings. Stanley puts his glasses in his pocket and answers the phone.**

**Stanley: Stanley Uris speaking**

Stanley's eyes widened. This-this was him. There he was, he was _happy_. He had on a wedding ring so the woman in the background, probably the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, was his wife! He made it through this! He beat the fucking clown! He glanced over at Richie who was wiggling his eyebrows suggestively and gesturing at his future wife.

**The camera pans to Mike in Derry-**

**Mike: It’s Mike.**

**The camera pans back to Stanley**

**Stanley: I’m sorry?**

**Mike: Mike Hanlon…from Derry.**

**Stanley: (Coming to a slow realization) Mike! God sorry, yes. Hi, uh I-I-I don’t know why I didn’t um-how long’s it been?**

**Mike: A long time. 27 years.**

**Stanley: (Suddenly sounding terrified) It’s come back hasn’t it? That’s why you’re calling me.**

**Mike: It’s starting again Stan. Bad things are happening.**

**Stanley: D-Did you call the others and what if they don’t come?**

"The others." Beverly repeated as she looked across the row of losers. "That has to be us, right? It was all of us at the beginning."

"Speak for yourself!" Eddie replied without missing a beat. "If I get involved with this clown shit then my mom is gonna kill me!"

Stan gave him a curious look. "Then why were you there?"

"I-I don't know! You guys are my friends I guess I followed you!" Eddie snapped back.

Richie laughed and jokingly put his arm around Eddie before remembering what Bowers had said and removed it. "Aw Eds, didn't know you cared."

"Beep beep Richie."

**Mike: We made a promise, remember? How soon can you get here?**

**Stanley: Um Well I-um yeah I would need to do a few things-**

**Mike (Interrupting) Tomorrow. We don’t have much time. I’ll text you everything you need. I’ll see you soon Stan the man.**

The movie cut out and static began appearing on the screen. Caroline shook her head begging Maturin silently to not show what was next. To not make the kid who had smiled when he saw his content future life.

"We'll break for now." Maturin stated looking directly at Caroline. "The kids need a break and the adults need a drink. Especially Mr. and Mrs. Uris. Oh and Mr. and Mrs. Denbrough. Maybe we can take out Mrs. Kaspbrak's tongue for a while too. Just for fun."

Caroline smiled. "I like that idea."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope everyone enjoyed!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The parents react to what has happened so far in the movie and they do not get along...like at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter revolves around the parents and it was actually a lot more to write this chapter than I thought it would be. Also I know the full script has been in the chapters but since this chapter will pretty much be them reacting to the scenes showed in chapters 1-3, I'll only put in a few lines here and there. Also I'm just gonna put this here Richie DOES have a sister in this story, I know he doesn't in the book, but one is mentioned in both the 2017 film and the 2010 script. Also this chapter is a complete experiment, if it doesn't go over well I'll just stick to the ones about the kids.

“What the fuck?” was the first thing that came out of Maggie Tozier’s mouth the second she found herself sitting in the Aladdin next to her husband and-was that Sharon Denbrough? She was supposed to be getting her hair done in an hour and after that she was going to have margaritas with-well, herself, but it was Friday and her kids were both spending the night at friends' houses!

“Language Honey.” Wentworth Tozier stated with a small sigh despite knowing it wasn't going to do much of anything.

“Seriously Maggie, you do know that your son will pick up on your language. The last thing I need is my Stanley-” Andrea Uris stopped when she heard a scoff. “Something to say Sonia?”

Sonia sneered at her. “It’s nothing.”

“It doesn’t sound like nothing.” Donald Uris spoke up giving a harsh glare to Sonia in the process.

“Well it’s just _all_ of your boys are bad influences on my Eddie-bear. Richard is too rough and he seems-” Sonia stopped momentarily. “inappropriate. I am constantly worried that Eddie will catch William’s stutter, and do I even have to mention Stanley?”

“You just might.” Andrea stated not losing any harshness in her voice.

“He’s-” Sonia lowered her voice. “Jewish.”

Maggie rolled her eyes and shook her head. “And you’re a judgmental bitch but we don’t hold it against your son.”

“You’re saying that you should hold it against Stanley that he’s Jewish?” Andrea sat up and glared at Maggie. Of course the woman who had abandoned her faith was going to hold her son's faith against him.

“Andrea please! You went to my Bat Mitzvah, I’m Jewish!" Maggie replied knowing that this was just going to be the start of another argument with her son's friend's uptight bitch of a mother.

Andrea shrugged innocently. “Well maybe I forgot because you never come to Temple.”

“Oh this again? Fine we’ll come-”

“You can go, the kids and I will go to our normal church.” Wentworth interrupted her. He was a forty-five year old dentist and a proud Methodist, he had put aside his wife's faith when he had began dating and eventually married her, but he was _not_ going to Temple.

Maggie rolled her eyes. “Not here Wentworth.” 

“Sorry Dear.” 

Sharon looked at the Tozier's momentarily before turning to Sonia. “What do you mean Eddie will catch Bill’s stutter? How is that even possible?”

“It just is!” Sonia exclaimed hysterically. "My poor Eddie-bear is so delicate already! The last thing he needs is a stutter."

Sharon stared at Sonia wondering if she realized how stupid she sounded. She had seen Sonia's precious Eddie-bear talk a mile a minute and run all over her yard. That kid was _not_ as delicate as she thought he was. “You are so full of shit.”

“Sharon!” Zack Denbrough exclaimed halfway proud and halfway embarrassed by his wife's words.

“Am I wrong?”

“Well-no-”

“Ugh! How my Eddie-bear can get along with any of your children is beyond me. Maybe I should just keep him with me.”

_“I’m sorry for doing this.” Caroline’s voice echoed throughout the theaters. “ You have to know what will happen. You have to know how to stop it. You need to save your children and the children need to be able to save themselves.”_

“What the hell was that?” Maggie asked grabbing onto Wentworth’s hand.

“The wind?”

“The fact that you are a doctor astonishes me.” Maggie stated before shaking her head and leaning in closer to her husband. “Do you at least think something good is playing?”

Andrea rolled her eyes. “It’s some prank, it has to be.”

Sonia stuck up her nose and made sure to give side-eye to the Tozier's. “It’s probably _Richard_.”

“Why-why do you hate our son so much? Is it because I told him to tell Eddie he had a cavity?” Wentworth asked, and maybe the cavity thing wasn't true but he hated Sonia enough to make her worry.

“Eddie had what?!”

“Is that Bill and Georgie?” Zack Denbrough asked finally getting everyone to be quiet and watch what was going on.

“That’s Bill’s room.” Sharon smiled as she looked at the scene taking place. Her son's always had gotten along amazingly. "Look at them Zack."

"We've done go-" Zack stopped when it cut to Beverly in the cistern. "Isn't that the Marsh girl?"

"Is she alright?" Wentworth asked as the girl was floating in the air.

"Seriously, how are you a doctor?"

"What is wrong with my little girl?" Alvin Marsh spoke up from the end of the aisle giving a moment of concern before licking his lips. His daughter sure was a looker, just like her mother.

**Beverly: I saw all of us, all of us were there. Back in the cistern. But we were older. We were our parents’ ages.**

**Richie: Am I still handsome as an adult?**

**Beverly: You grow into your looks**

**Richie: What the fuck does that mean?**

Andrea gave a half glare to Maggie. "I told you that he would pick up on that language Maggie!"

"Well your precious Stanley isn't complaining." Maggie replied not even glancing in Andrea's direction.

"My Eddie-bear should be. The fact that he has to hear _such_ language-"

_"All of you be quiet! This is supposed to be a warning! This will save your children's lives!"_

"Our children are in danger?" Arlene Hanscom asked in horror. "Even my Ben?"

_"Watch and see."_

"Bu-" Maggie Tozier stopped once a man that nobody recognized appeared on the screen. "Who is-is that-it's not possible."

Wentworth swallowed as he looked at the man who-if he was right, was his son as an adult. "It's a coincidence."

"That can't be your son. He-he's our age!" Andrea exclaimed despite not believing the words that were coming out of her mouth as she was saying them.

"But that's what Bethany-"

"Beverly."

"Right, that's what Beverly said." Sharon finished feeling slightly bad for getting the girl's name wrong in front of her father.

"Richie's a comedian?" Wentworth asked before sighing. "So I guess he isn't going to take over the family business."

"That's a blessing. Could you imagine what _your_ son-"

"Shut up about my son Sonia or else Eddie's next appointment won't be discounted."

"Hmph."

"Well at least my son isn't cozying up next to a man."

Wentworth didn't let himself show any signs that Sonia's words upset him. If he was honest with himself he had wondered-Richie's eyes tended to linger if Maggie was watching some movie that had a shirtless man-but it was just hormones. He was growing up and curious about the human body. "What are you talking about? They were obviously just friends."

"I cannot allow my Eddie-bear around a _queer_." Sonia sneered turning away from Wentwoth as she did so.

Sharon rolled her eyes and wondered how it was anyone's business but Richie's if he was gay, but still made herself speak up. "Sonia I've passed by Bill's room enough times when the boys were over to here Richie saying so many things about girls. Trust me, Richie is not gay."

**Bill: Hey, Stan, what happens at the Bar Mitzvah, anyways? Eds says they slice the tip of your d-d-dick off.**

**Richie: Yeah, and I think the rabbi's gonna pull down your pants, turn to the crowd and say "Where's the beef?"** _**[the four of them laugh]** _

"How can you be Jewish and not have your son know what a Bar Mitzvah is?" Andrea asked not even trying to hide her disapproval.

Wentworth rolled his eyes. Why was Richie getting dragged into any of this. "Because Richie isn't Jewish."

"Come on Wentworth, we celebrate Hanukah."

"So?"

"Maybe we should give Richie a Bar Mitzvah?" Maggie didn't give Wentworth a chance to deny it before turning to the rabbi. “Can we do that Donald?" 

Donald smiled. "Of course, we welcome all young people in our community. There will be some forms and some technical things Richard needs to learn but Stanley can help him."

"I don't-"

"My mind's made up, he's having a Bar Mitzvah." Maggie interrupted Wentworth putting her hand on his chest to make sure he got the point.

Wentworth sighed. "Yes Dear."

**Stanley: At the Bar Mitzvah, I read from the Torah, and then I make a speech and suddenly, I become a man.**

**Richie: I could think of funner ways to become a man.**

**Stanley: "More fun" you mean.**

**Richie: Oh, shit.** _**[The boys go past Henry Bowers and his minions: Belch, Vic, and Patrick; Henry stands there with his arms folded, Belch and Patrick smile malevolently at them, and Vic merely gives them a threatening stare]** _ **Think they'll sign my yearbook? "Dear Richie, sorry for taking a hot, steaming shit in your backpack last March. Have a good summer."**

Maggie's jaw dropped. Who did what? To _her_ son. "He did what now? That is unacceptable."

"Why would he do that? Richie may be loud and have a-" Andrea scowled, "Terrible mouth, but he's a good kid."

Maggie glared at Wentworth momentarily. "I told you we should have sent him to private school."

"Where were we going to send him? It's not like Derry has one."

"Bangor does." Maggie stated remembering the small pamphlet she had picked up a few weeks before when she had taken her daughter shopping in Bangor.

Andrea nodded her head in agreement before turning to her husband. "Maybe we should look into putting Stanley into a private school too Donald."

"I can barely handle these women at a birthday party." Sharon whispered to her husband. "How in the world am I going to put up with them for-well, however long this lasts."

**Bill: Guys, we have the B-b-barrens.**

"Why are the boys going to the Barrens?" Zack asked. He had went several times when he was growing up, but the Barrens were dangerous and they hadn't known any better, Bill should.

"My Eddie-bear will not be going there. Just watch, he'll stop them."

**Stanley: Right.**

**Eddie: Betty Ripsom's mom.** _**[they turn to look at Mrs. Ripsom, standing next to a police officer, with Sheriff Bowers, Henry's dad, a few feet away]** _

**Stanley: Is she really expecting to see her come out of that school?**

"What's wrong with my daughter? Why wouldn't she be coming out of the school?" Mrs. Ripsom asked.

**Eddie: I don't know. As if Betty Ripsom's been hiding at Home Ec. for the last few weeks.**

**Stanley: You think they'll actually find her?**

**Richie: Sure. In a ditch. All decomposed, covered in worms and maggots. Smelling like Eddie's mom's underwear.**

Mrs. Ripsom gasped and Sonia Kaspbrak put her hand over her heart and glared at Wentworth and Maggie. 

"We-we need to give Richie a talk about timing." Maggie stated she would have been laughing if she hadn’t just heard that Betty Ripsom, a girl whom she had known since she was born, had gone missing, she looked down before clearing her throat. "Sorry about that Sonia."

"Your son is a menace." Mrs. Ripsom snapped from her seat in the back.

Maggie and Wentworth exchanged a look before Wentworth shrugged and glanced back at Mrs. Ripsom. “Sorry Janice.”

**Patrick: Nice Frisbee, flamer.**

**Stanley: Give it back!** _**[Patrick laughs evilly and throws it through the window of a passing school bus]** _

**Patrick: Fucking losers!**

_**[Belch burps at Eddie]** _

Sonia screamed. This was not going to happen to her Eddie-bear! He was too delicate! He was going to get sick! "Do something!"

Zack titled his head and tried for a solid five seconds to try and understand Sonia Kaspbrak before giving up. "You do realize we aren't there."

"Why would he do that? That is a symbol of Jewish religion." Donald stated as he shook his head. To think, some people said that the world was getting more tolerant.

"Will you stop with your evil religion! My son just got burped on! My poor Eddie-bear."

Andrea scoffed. "Evil religion?"

Maggie rolled her eyes and grabbed Wentworth’s hand. "Sonia let Eddie grow up."

"I don't recall asking for your opinion."

"Well maybe if you did Eddie wouldn't be obsessed with germs."

"My son is obsessed with his safety! Everyone should be more like him!"

**Henry:** _**[mockingly]** _ **You s-s-s-say something, Bi-Bi-Bi-Billy? You got a free ride this year 'cause of your little brother.** _**[approaches Bill]** _ **Ride's over, Denbrough.** _**[Henry looks to his father, who takes off his glasses and looks at his son with a stern facial expression that says "Leave him alone, son."]** _ **This summer's gonna be a hurt train for you and your faggot friends.** _**[runs his hand along his tongue and wipes it on Bill's cheek; he, Belch, and Patrick walk off to Belch's car, where Vic is waiting, and the four of them get in the car]** _

**Richie: I wish he'd go missing.**

**Eddie: He's probably the one doing it.**

Andrea froze and looked at the screen. "Kids are going missing?"

"Wait a second." Sharon froze staring at the movie screen. "Why did he say he gave Bill a free pass because of his little brother?"

Maggie gasped silently and squeezed her husband’s hand. Georgie was always such a good kid. "No."

"Where's Georgie? D-does he go missing?" Sharon asked becoming more frantic as the seconds went on. “Someone say something!”

"Honey calm-"

"Don't you dare tell me to calm down when my baby may be missing!" Sharon interrupted him. "Okay we get it! We'll watch our children! P-please just where are my sons?"

"Honey-"

Sharon shook her head and stood up. "I have to find them!"

 _"Sit down now._ " A male voice instructed them. 

"I will sit down when my children are here with me you son of a bitch!" Sharon screamed causing most everyone in the theater to flinch.

" _Bill must watch the movie somewhere else_."

"Mommy?"

"Georgie!" Sharon ran over to the little boy and grabbed him. "You're okay baby. Mommy's here. Mommy's here."

"What is _that_?" Alvin Marsh asked as Don and Adrian kissed on screen. "Somebody needs to teach those to fags a lesson."

Andrea shook her head and tried not to glare at Alvin. "Who invited the trailer trash?"

"You do realize that you grew up in a trailer, literally I think you two were neighbors growing up and everyone that lives in Derry is here."

"Shut up Maggie."

Maggie held in a smirk. "Sorry, forgot that you didn't like to be reminded."

"Woo!" Alvin cheered as Adrian and Don were being beaten. "Teach them boys how to act here in Derry!"

Maggie shook her head before smirking at Andrea. "Didn't you two use to date?"

"Shut up Maggie."

Donald’s eyes widened as he looked at his wife. There was no way…"Did you date Alvin Marsh?"

"Honey the past is the past. I don't know all of your ex-girlfriends." Andrea stated giving his hand a reassuring squeeze and glaring, once again, at Maggie fucking Tozier.

"Is that my boy?" Leroy asked as he looked up on the screen. "What the hell is he doing in this?! He doesn't even know those kids."

"Are you trying to make him kill a sheep?" Arlene asked slightly alarmed at what she was seeing on screen.

"We're farmers. You wanna eat don't you?" Leroy asked despite knowing that the people in the theater weren’t going to get it. They needed any excuse to hate the black guys.

Andrea shook her head. "He's just a kid."

"Listen hear, I've been raising kids since you were in diapers. Don't tell me how to raise my grandson."

"Honey quiet down." Donald stated grabbing her shoulder to calm her down. "Let's focus on Stanley."

**Gretta: Are you in there by yourself, Beaver-ly? Or do you have half the guys in the school with you, huh, slut?** _**[Beverly puts out her cigarette on the wall]** _ **I know you're in there, little shit. I can smell you. No wonder you don't have any friends.**

_**[Sally proceeds to get a trash bag loose from the sink]** _

**Beverly: Which is it, Gretta? Am I a slut or a little shit? Make up your mind.**

Alvin glared at the screen where his daughter, his gorgeous stupid daughter, was smoking. "How is my Bevvy getting cigarettes?"

"Guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree."

Maggie rolled her eyes. "Oh shut up Andrea."

"We-" Andrea stopped when the trash got poured on Beverly's head. "That poor girl." Andrea turned to Mr. Keene. "You think it's okay for your daughter to do that?"

"I'll talk to her."

**Stanley: Ha’olam, asher bahkar mikal..**

**Donald: Banu mikal! You’re not studying, Stanley. You’re not studying and yet this is exactly what this time is about... Taking responsibility for one’s own religious life. If you don’t want to study for you, think of your mother. Think of me. How is it going to look if the Rabbi’s son can’t even finish his reading? Do you want to bring shame on me and your mother, after all we’ve done for you?**

Andrea hit Donald swiftly. "Be nicer to Stanley."

"He _needs_ to study."

"Well tell him tha-" Andrea screamed when Stanley is being scared by the painting. "Get rid of it! Get rid of it!"

Donald stayed frozen looking at the screen, he always had had a bad feeling about that painting. "I will."

"Thank God he's okay." Maggie stated with her hand over her heart. She looked over at Sharon who hadn’t said a word since her son had joined them. She wasn’t sure what she would do if she had to see Richie going through something like that. Donald and Andrea nodded their heads and both gave Maggie a thankful look.

**Stanley: Stanley Uris speaking**

Andrea’s fears calmed when she adult Stanley on the screen. Thank God she wasn’t going to have to see her only baby die. "Wow look how he grows up. He looks happy, doesn't he?"

Donald smiled. "He does."

"He seems successful, for a Jew." Sonia stated as she admired his house. How could a Jew have that good of a house? It didn’t seem right.

"I am going to claw your throat out." Andrea hissed as Donald stopped her from getting up and attacking Sonia.

Sonia gasped. "Don't threaten me!"

"It's not a threat."

"That is it! My Eddie-bear will not be playing with your son anymore!" Sonia yelled. She had always been on the fence about that boy, but if his mother was going to treat him this horribly then her Eddie-bear did not need to be anywhere near that family.

"Your Eddie-bear is lucky you haven't suffocated him!"

“ _If all of you are not quiet so help me I will pull out your tongues! This is a warning. If you want to save your children you must keep watching. You all have the power to save them.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you guys think? If this ends up being completely terrible, don't worry, there will be another chapter coming out centering around the kids very soon.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike calls Bill and Eddie, Bill gets yelled at by his dad, and Mike sees Pennywise for the first time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a small spoiler from the book in this chapter involving Mike and Henry Bowers. If you want to skip it, it's in the first break of the scene where Mike sees Pennywise.

"So are we all about to get together?" Beverly asked as static still filled the screen. She looked from Ben and Mike to Bill, Richie, Eddie, and Stanley. "We saw Mike call Stanley and so he's probably the one that called Richie too, right?"

"I guess so." Mike was still floored that he was going to be living in Derry in thirty years. It was kind of depressing and he wouldn't think about it if the movie wasn't forcing him to.

Richie attempted to give her a flirty smile that ended up looking more like he was trying not to laugh. "I think you're right there Ms. Marsh."

"Th-then why hasn't h-h-he called the rest of u-u-us?" Bill asked gesturing to himself and everyone else who hadn't been called yet. "Is there a re-" Bill stopped when the movie began playing again. 

**Stagehand 1: Mr. Denbrough, they need you on set.**

Bill's eyes widened. So was that thing just going to show them when they said something? Did that mean if they stopped talking they wouldn't see anymore of the movie?

**Bill: All good?**

**Stagehand 1: We’re just gonna go this way.**

**Bill: I’m doing it! I’m doing it! I’m doing it!**

**Stage hand 2: What are you doing?**

**Bill: Come on have you never seen Indiana Jones?**

**Stage hand 3: Watch your back! Hey! Hey! You work here?**

**Bill: I am the writer.**

**Makeup artist: Your husband is here.**

**Audra: Hey! Did you ever finish the pages?**

Bill and Beverly glanced at each other. Both having the same question, was the woman—was Bill’s wife Beverly? Bill looked away from Beverly the second that he caught her staring at him. Beverly was really pretty and the few times they had talked since the play she had been really cool and nice, and cool-Wait did he just say he was a writer? Was he becoming a writer!

“I always knew you were the best storyteller out of all of us Big Bill.” Richie stated with a smirk.

“You could have just killed yourself you know.” Eddie stated as he looked away from the screen and looked directly at Bill. “That door was going to fall on you! You are clearly middle aged here! Middle aged! Do you know-”

“Eddie, be quiet.” Stanley interrupted him. He wasn’t sure why, but the phrasing of what Eddie had just said had bothered him. A shiver went through his spine at the thought of one of his friend's internationally hurt themselves. Bill hadn’t purposely tried to hurt himself, had he? Stanley forced the thought out of his mind, of course Bill _wouldn't,_ he would never do that. In fact, the only one who he could see hurting themselves was him, and he wasn’t going to admit that to anyone.

_**Director: My friend, the film needs an ending. You do know that, right?** _

_**Bill: Oh yeah** _

_**Audra: You said you needed a day to finish the pages and we’re shooting this thing! It’s tonight.** _

Beverly squinted at the woman on the screen and began doubting it was actually her. Sure, they looked alike, but the woman on the screen seemed more…feminine? Was that the right word? Plus she had never expected to end up in the movie business, hell she couldn’t even believe it while looking at a screen with a woman who was _clearly_ in the movie business and looked a lot like how she pictured herself as an adult.

Ben looked away from the screen and glanced at Beverly. Maybe eventually he would get the guts to say something, but it wasn't like he stood a chance against Bill. The movie practically spelled it out that they would be married later."You look pretty." 

Beverly glanced over at Ben who was now blushing heavily, like he hadn't meant to say anything at all. She smiled at him. "Thanks, but we don't know if that's me or not."

"Right." Ben replied slightly-no, very embarrassed. He was glad that Beverly was on screen, or else she would have known for sure he was talking about her right then.

"You good?" Mike whispered quietly enough so Beverly couldn't hear them. He wasn't sure if he had ever seen anyone more obvious than Ben, of course, that wasn't saying much since he was never really around anyone.

Ben nodded and pretended to not be shocked when Mike reached out for a low five. Was he-was he making a friend? Ben smiled and low fived Mike. "Yeah, thanks."

_**Bill: It's been 17 hours.** _

_**Director: Everyone calm down, okay?** _

_**Bill: I'm calm.** _

_**Director: I want you to be happy with the movie. Do you understand I’m on your side?** _

_**Bill: That's great, cause in the book the ending ...** _

_**Director: It's terrible. With all do respect, people loved your book, loved! They hated the ending.** _

_**Bill: You said you liked the ending** _

_**Director: That was a lie We’ve gotta do better, okay?** _

_**Bill: Yes.** _

_**Director: Audra, you have my notes, could you? Okay thank you very much. Take me to One, please. Goodbye.** _

Beverly looked down and sighed completely missing that next to her Ben was beaming, something she would have noted to herself was cute. But now it was obvious her crush on Bill wouldn’t work out in the end. Even if she was glad that she didn’t end up in the movie business. Wait-she didn’t end up in the movie business…did she? Where was she? Why hadn’t it shown her yet?

"You're lucky it hasn't shown you yet." Richie found himself speaking before he could stop himself. "I mean, it's started out pretty good for us, it just means it's gonna get worse, doesn't it?"

"You don't know that." Beverly stated with a small shrug. "I mean for all we know it could get better. You might even win an Emmy."

Eddie shook his head swiftly. "Do _not_ feed his ego. I don't know if you could hear him, but he's been bragging about being a comedian since he saw it."

Beverly snickered softly. "I heard it."

"That's right Molly Ringwald." Beverly rolled her eyes but smiled at the nickname nonetheless. "She knows talent."

"I mean masturbating at your girlfriend's face." Beverly shook her head. "Sorry I tried, it's just not funny."

Stanley snorted as he and Eddie nodded in agreement. "Say it again for the people in the back."

Richie put a hand over his heart in mock offense, "What? How could you?!"

**Bill: You have his notes?**

**Audra: He’s not wrong**

**Bill: You hate my endings too? -**

**Audra: Not all your endings, but this ...**

**Bill: Okay -**

**Audra: What? Do you want me to keep lying to you, just because I am ... -**

**Bill: My wife?** **No-no, but you’ve been blowing smoke up my ass for eight years. I guess I thought you were someone else**

**I have not been blowing smoke up your ass**

**Bill: Everyone wants a happy ending. Everyone wants closure. But that’s not the way life works out.**

**Audra: I think what Peter wants- no what the Studio wants.**

**Bill: The Studio? When did you become a company man? You're an artist. Come on, what’s wrong with just doing it the way it’s written? The way I want it. What’s wrong with being the woman I want you to be?**

Richie shook his head. “Oh Bill you’re in for it now.”

“Like you know anything about my ma-ma-marriage Trashmouth.” Bill grumbled back as he looked back at his future wife in confusion. Was one seemingly little fight really that bad?

Stanley hated the fact that he was nodding in agreement with Richie, but did so anyway. "Well he knows enough to know that you're in trouble."

"Wa-wa-was it really tha-that bad?"

Beverly stared at him blankly and nodded her head. "Yes Bill, yes it was that bad."

**Audra: Fuck you, Bill!**

**Bill: On the page. The part I mean. Not you.** **Hello? –**

Richie snickered at the screen. He had heard his sister complaining to her boyfriend enough times to know that is _not_ how you deal with a girl. “You’re in a fight with your wife and you stop and take a phone call? Nice marriage Bill.”

Bill crossed his arms and sat back against his seat. "At least I'm married."

"Not for much longer."

"Beep beep Richie." Bill snapped back while crossing his arms.

**Mike: Bill Denbrough? It’s Mike.**

**Bill: Mike who?**

**Mike: Mike Hanlon from Derry. You need to come home.**

"Why am I calling you?" Everyone turned to Mike who was finally over the fact that he would still be in Derry and was now going for the very obvious next question. "I mean I saw us together at the beginning, but why-we never talk. We hardly even acknowledge each other."

"I-I don't know."

"The voice said we all have the gift." Ben suggested softly. He was walking on eggshells trying to make sure he didn't end up offending any of the people he was sitting with, especially since the boys on the other side of Beverly seemed like such good friends. He'd love to have friends like that.

"What gift? I highly doubt that presents are going to start falling from the sky." Richie took a deep breath and pretended that he wasn't scared out of his mind. He still didn't understand what the hell was going on, how they were seeing their futures, and what the fuck was the gift? It was just riddles and normally he would be fine with that, but he had a strong feeling it was going to end up with one-or all of them dying, and there was no way he wanted to see that.

Stanley rolled his eyes. "This is serious Richie."

"I'm being serious!"

Stanley shook his head as he looked at the other kids who had been featured in the movie. "There's something about us, all of us, and that's why it's about us. It's probably what brought us together."

"And the reason we aren't together anymore." Everyone turned to Mike again. "I'm just saying, you guys didn't even seem to remember me. If we went through something-I mean if we're going to go through something-"

"Wait you don't think we're gonna interact with the clown, do you?" Ben asked feeling slightly bad for interrupting the other boy. He wasn't sure about the rest of them, but he did _not_ want to see himself with the clown.

"I already have!" Stanley shouted as the memory came back into his head. He shut his eyes and began taking deep breaths as panic began to take over him.

Bill shrugged as Richie, Ben, Beverly, Mike, and Eddie all gave Stanley worried glances "T-t-technically that was a p-p-painting."

"But it had to have been the clown, right?" Beverly asked as Bill appeared back on screen. "Guys look!"

 **Bill:** _**[as he walks his bike home]** _ **"He thrusts his fists against the posts..." He thrusts his fists against... Shit! "Post."** _**[he walks into the garage where his father, Zack, is operating a saw; he turns around as Bill enters]** _ **Need some help? I...**

**Zack: I thought we agreed.**

**Bill:** _**[glancing at a set of hamster tunnels on a table]** _ **Before you say anything...**

**Zack: Bill.**

**Bill: Just let me show you something first.** _**[he picks up a small green figure and drops it into the tube-like tunnel, then places a hose nozzle inside and turns the hose** _

_**on; Zack watches as water pushes the little figure through the tubes into a small tray marked "The Barrens" on the floor]** _ **The Barrens. It's the only place that Georgie**

**could have ended up.**

**Zack: He's gone, Bill.**

**Bill: But if the storm swept Georgie in, we should have gone...**

**Zack:** _**[standing up]** _ **He's gone! He's dead! He's dead! There's nothing we can do! Nothing! Now take this down before your mother sees it.** _**[walks to the wall and takes down a map that Bill put up there]** _ **Next time you want to take something from my office... Ask.** _**[he walks out of the garage taking the map with him]** _

**Bill:** _**[glancing at his hamster]** _ **I guess you get your tunnels back.**

"Dad?" Bill whispered unable to help himself. Was he the only one who wasn't going to give up on Georgie? They hadn't seen what had happened to him...at least not yet. So it could be true that Georgie was still alive.

"I mean at least you keep up with your stuttering saying."

Bill held in the glare he was desperately wanting to give Richie as Eddie swatted Richie's arm. He knew that Richie was just trying to lighten the mood. After all, everyone was probably a little tense after seeing his dad yell at him. He was pretty sure he'd be the same way if he'd seen any of the others-no that was a lie. Lightening the mood would always and forever be Richie's job. "You're r-r-right Trashmouth."

 _ **[Mike**_ _**is biking down the road into town to deliver some meat. Upon reaching the busy**_ _**streets, he walks his bike to the front of the Quality Meats store and begins**_

 _ **to unload the meat; he then looks up and sees Henry Bowers and his buddies**_ _**driving down the street.]**_

"Oh god." Mike muttered the second he saw Henry onscreen. One of two things were about to happen, he was either going to get the shit beat out of him or run away. Neither of which he really wanted to brag about.

Stanley sighed being able to sense Mike's discomfort despite having four people in between them. It didn't shock him, Bowers was bad enough for _him_ to put up with. He could only imagine how much worse it was for Mike. Especially with that rumor going around that Henry had killed Mike's dog. "You know Bowers is an asshole."

"Trust me, I know." Mike stated as he thought of everything that Bowers had done to him over the years. None worse than what had happened to Mr. Chips a little over a year ago.

Eddie gave Mike a curious glance before asking the question that literally everyone had on their minds. "Did he really kill your dog?" 

Mike sighed before nodding his head. He hated thinking about Mr. Chips unfortunate demise. "I don't like talking about it."

**Henry: Get in!**

**Woman: Creep!"**

_**[Mike immediately goes down a side street, and hides behind**_ _**a trash can as they drive past]**_

 **Mike: Oh, Jesus.** _**[he walks his bike to the deliveries only door of the Quality Meats store, and starts unloading the meat; as he does so, he hears a soft growl behind him and** __**turns around; after a few seconds, the door opens, a burnt hand emerges, and**_ _**voices are heard]**_

 **Woman: Mike!** _**[she screams; more burnt hands emerge; Mike walks towards the door slowly]** _

**Man: Hurry, son!**

**Woman: Help! It burns!**

**Man: Mike!**

_**[The hands disappear, and the door bursts open; inside,**_ _**Mike sees what looks like a sheep hanging from some rope; he breathes**_ _ **nervously; then the shadowy shape of Pennywise appears, and waves at him, as**_ _**his yellow eyes glow menacingly.**_

"It's the clown." Eddie stated temporarily frozen. The clown was coming after Mike, which meant more thank likely the clown was going to come after everyone. Plus he hadn't seen adult him yet, did that mean the clown was going to end up eating him? Was he going to become some weird footnote in the clown's story. Oh shit he was going to have an asthma attack.

Richie rolled his eyes despite beginning to worry for Eddie. "No shit Eddie."

"Well I'm sorry for talking as-"

"He's just staring at you." Stanley interrupted before Eddie and Richie had the chance to be all Eddie and Richie again. He was much more concerned about what was going on and how they were going to survive it.

"Maybe he can't just eat people." Mike observed as he remembered what his Grandfather had told him a long time ago. He had said Derry was cursed, and he wouldn't be surprised if this clown was apart of that. There had to be a reason why he hadn't been eaten. Didn't there? The only question was what was the clown waiting for?

"Huh?" Ben asked while confusion became evident on his face. 

"I mean he's staring at me. I obviously grow up because I've called Stanley, Richie, and Bill. That means he had the chance to eat me and didn't."

"Or-" Bill gestures up to the screen.

 _ **Suddenly, Mike hears the revving of a car**_ _ **engine, and looks to his right to see Henry, Belch, Vic, and Patrick speeding**_ _**straight towards him; Mike quickly jumps out of the way]**_

 **Henry:** _**[as blaring rock music is playing on the car's stereo, he stands up through the roof]** _ **Stay the fuck outta my town!** _**[throws a cigarette at Mike as Belch gives him the** _

_**"finger" before they drive off; shortly afterwards, the store manager**_ _**walks out]**_

**Manager: Mike? Are you okay?**

Beverly gasped and reached past Ben to put her hand on top of Mike's. "Oh my god."

"Don't l-l-listen to them Mike." Bill stated almost getting up to walk over to the home schooled kid. He had never seen what the big deal about race was, but apparently Bowers didn't share that sentiment. Which, unfortunately, didn't surprise him at all.

"Yeah I mean look at those guys. They can't even beat you up right."

Mike forced out a laugh at what he assumed was Richie joking, mainly to be polite. "I guess that's true."

"Yeah I mean," Richie put an arm around Eddie. "Eds here gets beat up by Bowers all the time."

"Thanks Richie."

"Anytime Eduardo and he's fine, still cute. You on the other hand, accidentally got saved by those assholes. Their plan totally backfired."

Eddie rolled his eyes, Richie never could give up the opportunity to annoy him, but before he could reply Stan interjected. "What matters is that Mike's okay."

"Thanks Stanley."

"You know B-B-Bowers comes after a-a-all of us." Bill stated as he gestured to himself, Richie, Stanley, and Eddie.

"We saw that earlier."

"He comes after me too." Ben spoke up softly. "He doesn't like me very much."

"Me either." Beverly agreed and the boys turned to her with varying degrees of shock. "The rumors aren't true you know, I'd never go anywhere near him."

**Myra: (Via Eddie’s phone) Eddie, I keep telling you not to scare me like this and you never listen to me.**

**Eddie: Myra, please, not now.**

Stan raised an eyebrow and glanced over at Eddie, who apparently was still very close with his mother in the future. “Why are you calling your mom Myra?”

“I don’t know.” Eddie shrugged in awe seeing himself in the future. He was driving! He was going to get a car! He was going to get out of Derry! And apparently, he was going to have some sort of phone that he could take with him while he was driving.

“I mean she loves to suck my raw-“

“Shut up just shut up Richie.”

**Myra: You shouldn't be out there Eddie, it's not safe to drive when the roads are slick like this.**

**Eddie: Sweetheart, it stopped raining three hours ago, alright? Everything is gonna be fine. Hey dickhead! Flow of traffic mean anything to you?!**

Stanley bit his cheeks to stop himself from laughing as a realization came to him. The woman-the woman Eddie was talking to, it wasn’t Sonia Kaspbrak. The woman wasn’t Eddie’s mother and if the ring on Eddie’s ring finger was what he thought it was—Eddie had literally married a clone of his mother.

“Sweethe-” Richie stopped when Stanley threw his hand on his mouth. 

Beverly tilted her head wondering why Stanley had shut Richie up with his hand, and what was so funny about his relationship with his wife, who funnily enough looked just like the mean woman who she had ran into time to time. What was her name again? Mrs. Kinder-Collins-no Kaspbrak. Beverly covered her mouth. "Oh my god!"

**Myra: What happens if you hydroplane?**

**Eddie: I’m not going to hydroplane. It is my job to access risks. So please trust me when I tell you that statistically speaking I am much more likely to get into an accident because I am talking to you on the phone! I have to go, I will talk to you soon. Goodbye. (Hangs up on Myra before answering his phone again) Edward Kaspbrak speaking.**

**Myra: You didn't say, "Okay, bye, I love you." Like you usually do.**

**Eddie: Listen to me! I can’t I’m going to be late to this (Eddie’s phone rings, the screen says CALL INPUT DERRY, MAINE) meeting.**

**Myra: Say I love you, Eddie.**

**Eddie: Okay, I love you mommy.**

**Myra: What?**

**Eddie: Myra, bye.**

Stanley finally stifled a laugh and glanced past Richie and looked straight at Eddie. “Eddie.”

“Shut up.” Eddie shook his head and his face turned red. The woman on screen, his wife...was fucking identical to his mother. He was going to have to go into hiding...and never talk to anyone-by anyone he means Richie, everyone in the theater, and Richie, ever again.

“I-i-is that your?”

“Be quiet.” Eddie interrupted in a way that he would normally never do to Bill.

Beverly couldn't help it. She looked at Eddie. “She looks just like…”

“And to think, all this time you thought _I_ was fucking your Mom.”

“You know what!? Nobody thinks you’re fucking my mom dickwad! And she wouldn’t even fuck you anyway! You know why? She hates you! And I’m going to fucking hate you too if you don’t beep beep you mother fucking asshole!”

“You need to get laid. Should I call your mom?”

“That’s it.” Eddie stood up and glared at Richie. “Okay who wants to trade seats? Anyone.”

“Eddie sit down and watch the fucking movie.”

**(Answers his other call) Hello who's this?**

**Mike: It's me. It's Mike.**

**Eddie: Mike who? (Eddie swerves and crashes his car)**

**Mike: Eddie, you okay?**

**Eddie: Yeah, I’m pretty good**

Richie's heart dropped and immediately turned to Eddie to make sure he was still there, he grabbed his arm to make sure he actually was okay. "You're alright."

"Of cou-" Eddie stopped when he saw both Bill and Stanley shaking their heads at him. "Yeah, I'm okay."

"Do you think you got hurt?"

"I hope not but I could have internal bleeding. I didn't see any injuries but-"

"But you said you were fine and you're-you're the one who knows about that kinda stuff. If you said you're fine you're fine."

"But I could have just been-"

"You said you were fine!" Richie nearly shouted back. His heart was beating fast and he was pretty sure he had never been that scared for anyone in his life. Not even when he saw Stanley almost getting ate by a painting...even though Stanley was his best friend too. He pushed away his confusion, he was just more scared for Eddie because he had actually seen Eddie get into an accident. That was the reason he felt like dying when he though Eddie might be hurt.

Eddie stared at Richie for a second before nodding his head. He didn't want Richie to get upset-well, even more upset than he currently was-even if he was a complete and utter asshole. "Yeah. I'm sure I'm fine."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope everyone enjoyed! Let me know what you think!!!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike calls Ben and Bev, Pennywise meets Georgie, and Bill, Eddie, and Richie get ready for the sewer.

Ben glanced over at Richie and Eddie. Richie was still frantic, even though he would have thought that Eddie would be. He didn’t know what he’d do if he saw himself get hurt like that, if he even did get hurt. “I’m glad you’re okay Eddie.”

“Thanks….” Eddie tried to remember the new kids name and looked at his friends for help. Of course, they weren’t any, because that’s how they were, so Eddie shot a finger gun at Ben. “You.”

Ben sighed, of course they didn’t know his name. “Ben.”

“Right.” Eddie’s face went red and he looked down. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to know the new kid-even if his current friend group was fine the way it was. Structure is very important for young people. 

**The camera pans to a door with the writing Hanscom & Associates on it. There are several people in the room for a meeting.**

**Man 1: Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for letting us present to you today. Now, this will include over a million square feet of commercial and residential space. State-of-the-art office towers.**

**Bald Man: What I’m really looking for is to understand how we create even more retail opportunities. If we put in walls here and all along here-**

**Ben: [Shown on a monitor] Lose them.**

**Bald Man: With all due respect Mr. Hanscom-**

Ben gasped when the bald man said ‘Mr. Hanscom.’ It wasn’t possible that guy was him! He was-well not that.

“Holy shit Ben! You’re hot!” Richie exclaimed. He was straight, the straightest guy you would ever know, but holy shit Ben was fucking dreamy. 

Ben’s face turned red and he looked down. Nope. No, he wasn’t. “I am not.” Within two seconds Mike, Stanley, and Eddie were responding at the same time.

“Don’t be modest.” Mike stated as he looked over at who was now possibly his only human friend. “We all have looked good.”

“Yeah look at you.” Eddie gestured back to the screen.

Stanley raised an eyebrow and looked at Ben “Do you even see you?”

“I-I do. It’s just not me.” Ben replied only bothering to answer Stanley’s question because it made him the least uncomfortable. It wasn’t like he hadn’t heard the whistles coming from various girls and Richie when he had appeared on screen, he had. But there was no way that he grew into that. It was impossible.

“Who else w-w-would it be?” Bill asked turning to the chubbier boy with confusion.

Ben shrugged and tried not to blush deeper. “I don’t know.”

“Guys stop you’re embarrassing him.” Beverly stated before tapping Ben’s hand, hoping it would make him feel better.

**Ben: Ben, please. And with all due respect to you I’m getting claustrophobic just looking at this model. Aren’t you? Look. Throw up more walls, it’s gonna feel like a prison. You know what people want to do in prison? Get out. Right? This should be a place that brings people together. A meeting ground. [Ben grabs his wallet and opens it revealing a bit of a note with the letters ‘erly’ and a heart. He looks at it fondly] A clubhouse. And if, while people are there [Ben’s phone begins to vibrate] Excuse me for one second. [Ben clicks off his computer and answers his phone] Hello?**

**Mike: Ben? It’s Mike Hanlon. From Derry.**

Mike and Ben exchanged a look. “The gift?” Ben whispered.

Bill shook his head as a memory from Stan’s adult self, came back to him. “F-f-future us had to have tried to b-b-beat the clown. That’s the only r-r-reason we’d have to come b-b-back.”

“Why would we try and beat the clown?” Stanley asked becoming very alarmed. “We’re kids! We’re not even teenagers yet! Why would we go after the clown?”

“G-G-Georgie.”

“Bill, we don’t know that the clown took him.” Ben stated as he was becoming more and more anxious. One, because he was talking to the very obvious leader of the friendship group he desperately wanted to be apart of. Two, because Beverly Marsh’s hand was literally less than an inch away from his. And third, because he had a feeling he was lying, and he hated lying.

“Is G-G-Georgie dead?” Bill asked to the ceiling, that seemed to be where the voices were coming from. “Is h-he dead?!”

“Show us!” Richie yelled before all of the other Losers began to chime in. “Show us!”

 _“As you wish.”_ Caroline’s voice echoed through the theaters. “ _But be careful what you wish for.”_

**A dead traffic light sways overhead, it's black lenses gazing back at a boy in a yellow slicker and red galoshes. Georgie races down the street past dark houses after his paper boat, which sluices along a gutter swollen with rushing rainwater toward the intersection. Dripping street signs: Witcham & Jackson. Rain taps on Georgie's hood sounding to his ears like rain on a shed roof, a comforting almost cozy sound. The buckles of his galoshes make a merry jingle as he goes. The boat whistles past a blockade of sawhorses marked DEPT OF DERRY PUBLIC WORKS. Georgie ducks under one to keep up with his boat. He continues to run, head down until--smack! He runs right into one of those sawhorses, cutting off his path. Georgie falls back while the boat sails on.**

**Georgie: No! No!**

**Georgie gets back to his feet. He chases after his paper boat, reaching it just as it surfs up to the drain, it circles around twice, and is swallowed up. Georgie looks ready to cry.**

**Georgie: Oh, Bill's gonna kill me.**

Bill puts his hand over his mouth as he shakes his head. “I-I-I might’ve been m-m-mad but-” Bill stopped as he scanned the room for Georgie and tears began appearing in his eyes when he didn’t see him. “G-G-Georgie!”

“He’s not here Bill.” Stanley whispered not knowing what to do to make his friend feel better.

“Then w-w-where is he?” Bill snapped. He wasn’t mad at Stanley, but he couldn’t help it. Georgie was his little brother and he had no idea where he was. “Is M-M-Monica here?”

Richie swallowed silently as he began to scan the room for his older sister. He was halfway hoping he would find her because having one of his family members there would make him feel a bit better, but for Bill’s sake he hoped she wasn’t. He stopped when his eyes locked with hers and they exchanged waves. “Sorry Bill.”

**He peers into the storm drain, water falling into darkness. A dank hollow sound comes from within, the boat kicking in and out of the shadows. Georgie snakes his arm through the grate, reaching for the boat, his nose pressed against the curb. Just as he's about to get it a face appears. A greasy white face. Georgie recoils from the storm drain, spooked. That's when a voice, a sad voice, rises up.**

**Pennywise: Hiya, Georgie. What a nice boat. Do you want it back?**

**Georgie: Um, yes, please**

**Pennywise: You look like a nice boy. I bet you have a lot of friends**

**Georgie: Three, but my brother’s my best best**

**Pennywise: Where are they?**

**Georgie: In bed. Sick**

**Pennywise: I bet I can cheer them up. I'll give them a balloon**

**Georgie looks around, hoping someone else is around to hear this. It's just him and the torrential rain. An old woman watches from the window of a house behind the storm drain.**

**Pennywise: Do you want a balloon too, Georgie?**

**Georgie: I'm not supposed to take stuff from strangers**

**Pennywise: Oh...well, I'm Pennywise the Dancing Clown. "Pennywise?" "Yes." "Meet Georgie. "Georgie, meet Pennywise." Now we aren't strangers, aren't we?**

“Pennywise?” Beverly asked nearly covering her mouth at the feeling the name gave her lips. It felt like she had said something evil. And from what she had seen him do to Adrian earlier, she was right.

“Are we all gonna just ignore the dancing clown part?” Richie asked with a snicker.

“Richie! Georgie may be in trouble! Of course we’re not focusing on the fucking name!”

“Well _excuse me_ Mr. I married my mom.”

“Beep fucking beep.”

“Do you talk to your mother-sorry I mean wife, with that mouth?”

“G-g-guys!” Bill shouted causing Richie and Eddie to stop. “W-We need to s-s-see this!”

**At an old woman's house. She turns her attention back to her cat,s craping out the wet innards of a can of tuna into a plate on the window sill. It meows. Back with Georgie.**

**Georgie: What are you doing in the sewer?**

**Pennywise: A storm blew me away. Blew the whole circus away. (chuckles) Can you smell the circus, Georgie? There's peanuts, cotton candy, hot dogs, and...**

**Georgie: Popcorn?**

**Pennywise: Popcorn! (chuckles) Is that your favorite?**

**Georgie: Uh-huh**

**Pennywise: (laughs) Mine, too. Because they pop. Pop, pop, pop. Pop, pop, pop. Pop**

**Georgie: (whimpers) I should get going now**

**Pennywise: Oh. Without your boat? You don't wanna lose it, Georgie. Bill's gonna kill you. Here. Take it. Take it, Georgie**

**Pennywise holds Georgie's boat out of the drain with his right hand. Georgie reaches out both hands, his left to receive his boat and his right for a handshake to signal their friendship. He gets ever closer when--Pennywise lunges. He grabs Georgie's hand and jerks him down and toward the sewer, baring his mouthful of razor-like teeth. Georgie is on the ground. Crawling away from the drain. A gnawed and bloody stump where his right arm used to be seconds ago.**

**Georgie: Help! [Georgie is pulled back into the blackness of the storm drain. Screaming as loud as his little lungs can manage] Billy!**

“No!” Bill shouted as tears began to fall down his eyes. “N-n-not Georgie! I should h-h-have been out there w-w-with him!”

Stanley stared at the screen in fear but pushed it a side for a moment and turned to Bill. “You couldn’t have known that was going to happen.”

“I-I-I should’ve.” Bill replied through tears. This was his little brother! It was his job to help him. He failed him and because of that his brother was going to die.

“How were you supposed to know?!” Richie asked trying to ignore the tears in his own eyes that were appearing. Georgie, as annoying as he could be when they were hanging out at Bill’s house, was still Georgie.

“I j-j-just should’ve!” Bill shouted. None of them were going to get it. He was the only one with a little brother. He was the only one who was going to _lose_ a little brother.

Beverly shook her head and pushed her tears down before making sure her voice sounded soft before saying. “It’s not your fault.”

“H-h-his arm.” Bill whispered as he grabbed his own arm. If he would’ve seen Georgie in the theater with him he would’ve at least been able to tell him that he wouldn’t have gotten mad. That talking to people in the sewer was not a good thing to do. He could tell him that he loved him.

“We can change this.” Mike stated as he walked over to Bill. He had never been a fan of horror movies, but seeing a kid that he had seen around town getting ate by a clown was a whole other level of scary. He could only imagine how difficult it would be if it was his brother. “That’s why we’re seeing this. We have the gift. That has to mean that we have the power to save him, right?”

“That would be a gift.” Ben nodded his head in agreement. Something just felt right about Mike’s words. “It has to be the gift she’s talking about!”

“Ben and Mike are right.” Richie agreed as both he and Eddie stood up to give Bill a hug. Stanley waited a moment before joining in with the hug. “It’ll be okay Bill. We’ll fix this.”

“Or die trying.” Stanley whispered nearly shaking at the word die. The hug broke and everyone went back to there seats just in time for a woman to appear on the screen.

**A woman is shown in bed asleep next to a man and is woken up when her phone begins to ring. She answers it. The camera pans to her again now sitting in a chair in the corner of a room.**

**Mike: You made a promise, Beverly.**

“It’s me.” Beverly whispered. She touched her hair before looking at her adult self. She was gorgeous. “Wow.”

“Looking good Bev.” Richie complimented her. His voice was still slightly shaky after watching Georgie die but he had managed to force it out. After all, one of them was going to end up with Beverly at the end, it was a movie. So why couldn’t it be him? He was Richie fucking Tozier, he could get Beverly Marsh, even if the rumors about her weren’t true.

“Thanks Richie.”

“Please call me anytime.” Richie gave her a finger gun and tried to ignore how unnatural the words sounded coming out of his mouth.

“You couldn’t be more lame if you tried Trashmouth.” Stanley muttered all while giving an old-fashioned Stanley Uris eyeroll.

Beverly rolled her eyes, similarly to Stanley but chuckled slightly anyway. “Even in the middle of the night?”

“It’s my favorite time of day!” Richie replied not noticing that his tone had changed from kind of flirty to playful. The exact way that he would have talked to Stan or Bill.

Beverly laughed at him before smiling. “I’ll make sure to keep that in mind.”

**Beverly: I’m so sorry Mike. I don’t even really remember.**

**Mike: Haven’t you ever wondered why you can’t seem to remember the things that most people should, about where they’re from, about who they are, why you have that scar on your hand? [Beverly glances down at the scar] No one else remembered, either. Eddie, Ben, Stan, Richie, Bill.**

**Beverly: [With slight memory] Bill.**

Ben frowned. Once again he was reminded that Beverly Marsh would never want him. Even if he did eventually become hot or whatever it was everyone else was saying. “Do you have that scar now?”

Beverly shook her head and glanced at the hand where the scar was eventually going to be. “No.”

“I-I-I had one to.” Bill whispered before he and Beverly exchanged a look. His heart was beating out of his chest. He was still terrified about Georgie and what was going to happen to his little brother if he didn’t stop it. The only thing keeping him from falling apart was knowing that it hadn’t happened.

**Mike: You have to come back. You all do.**

**Beverly: [Now looking terrified] When? [Beverly begins gathering her things, leaving several fancy looking items. She grabs her bag ready to walk out only to see her husband blocking her way. She gasps]**

**Tom: Whoa. Are you okay? What’s going on? It’s the middle of the night. You’re packing?**

**Beverly: [She kisses her husband and begins to walk around him. She goes to sit on their bed.] I didn’t want to wake you, honey. I know this week’s been really exhausting. I just got a phone call from an old friend from Derry. I have to go back there. It’s really hard to explain why.**

**Tom: It’s okay. You don’t have to explain yourself to me. Relax. [Tom sits next to her and grabs her hand] I trust you. [They kiss and Beverly gets off the bed. Tom grabs her arm] I just don’t understand why you’d lie to me. [Beverly begins shaking her head as he gets up and begins walking closer to her] I heard you. You said the name Mike.**

“Why is he grabbing you like that?” Eddie asked as an uncomfortable feeling rose into his stomach. That looked like it had hurt, and he was an expert on being hurt.

Beverly shrugged. “It’s probably harder than he means to.”

“Are you sure?”

“Y-yeah.” Beverly replied despite not being sure at all. She recognized the look in his eyes. It was the look her father had in the rare times when had a girlfriend. She also recognized the look in her own eyes, she had seen it in her mother before she-Beverly shook her head. Her mother was gone. There was no point in comparing herself to her.

**Beverly: Yes my friend. See, there was a group of us back then and we all made a promise to each other when we were kids-**

**Tom: You know trust is everything in a relationship. You know it’s everything to me, right?**

**Beverly: I know. This isn’t-**

**Tom: [Confrontational] What? Like the last time?**

**Beverly: I never cheated on you. [She tries to kiss him but he grips her tighter causing her to whimper]**

“Looks like you still spread your legs in the future slut!” Gretta Keene called from a few rows back causing the girls with her to laugh.

“Why don’t you shut up before someone makes you?!” Ben shouted as rage grew in his chest. Was Gretta really making fun of Beverly _while_ she was being abused? Who did that?!

“Like you fat boy?” Gretta asked with a small snicker.

“No, like her.” Richie pointed to his sister who looked shocked for a moment before nodding.

“You know it’s such a shame for such a little girl to have a big mouth.” Monica Tozier stated with a small smirk. “I can take care of that for you and make sure it’s shut permanently.”

Gretta gasped before leaning down in her seat. No doubt whispering the imaginary things she would do if she was ever alone with Richie’s older sister.

“He’s a b-b-bastard Beverly.” Bill stated as he looked towards Beverly. He may not have ended up married to her in the future, but right now, he kind of liked her. He kind of liked her a lot.

**Tom: You’re a bad fucking liar, Bev. You’re not going anywhere, okay? I want you to stay right here and you’re gonna show me what it is you’re gonna do with Mike. [Tom slams Beverly against the fireplace] Okay?**

**Beverly: You’re hurting me, honey.**

**Tom: [Grabbing Beverly’s neck] No one else is gonna love you like me. You know that, right? {Beverly scratches him to get him off of her and instantly faces him apologetically]**

**Beverly: I-I-I’m sorry.**

**Tom: {Grabs a belt and begins whipping it at Beverly. She holds up her hands to protect her face. She catches the belt as he goes to swing it again] Don’t make this fucking harder!**

**Beverly: Don’t!**

Beverly felt tears come into her eyes and hid her face into Ben’s chest. “I-I don’t wanna watch this! Tell me when it’s over.”

Ben blushed and wrapped his arms around Beverly. He didn’t want to watch it either. Seeing the girl that he had a crush on being beaten by her future husband made his heart drop. Especially since she was watching it right next to him. “It’s gonna be okay.”

“He’s going to kill me.” Beverly sobbed into his shirt and ignored everything but the feeling of Ben’s hand on her back. Was every part that she was in going to be humiliating. Was she anything but the weak victim girl of the group?

“Well if I ever see him I’ll kill him.” Richie offered in a way that was much more serious than he was used to. He had never spent that much time with Beverly, but now that he had been talking to her for however long they had been in that theater, he couldn’t help but feel a little protective over her. Even if that did mean some guy would beat him up. He just hated that she felt more like his sister than anything more. Was that weird considering he had never really talked to her before this?

Eddie snickered at Richie. “You couldn’t murder someone if your life depended on it.”

“I could so!”

“You-” Eddie stopped when he realized that Beverly was sobbing into Ben’s shirt. Now probably wasn’t the best time to be arguing with Richie. He elbowed Richie who nodded in agreement. “Sorry Beverly.”

Stanley glared at the screen and crossed his arms. He was a master of puzzles, a bird watcher, and a boy scout, he knew the woods. More specifically he knew where nobody ever went. “We can find a place to hide the body. We won’t get caught.”

Mike stared at Stanley curiously for a moment before crossing his arms. “We can feed him to my goats.”

“It makes sense for a piece of shit to literally become shit.” Richie stated with vindication. As long as they did something to that guy, he was going to consider it a win. Hopefully Pennywise would come after him and they could all laugh as he ate him. Maybe even slowly and painfully.

“T-thanks guys.” Beverly stated still not moving her head from its place on Ben’s shirt.

**Tom punches her sending her on to the bed. He holds her legs and she kicks him sending him to the ground and she struggles off the bed. He gets up and she throws something at him. She gets up and hits him with a picture frame. She runs out of the room and down the stairs, past a portrait of her and her husband. Tom appears on the steps.**

**Tom: You’re nothing without me! You know that, right? Tell me I’m wrong!**

**Beverly runs out the door into the rain and takes off her wedding ring. A horn honks at her as she walks down the street and passes a sewer drain.**

“You left him Beverly.” Ben whispered as he dared to touch her hair and stroke it. He wasn’t trying to flirt with her, he really wasn’t. When he was upset his mom would comfort him the same way. He may have the world’s biggest crush on her, but right now all he cared about was making her feel better.

“Really?” Beverly whispered. She finally lifted her head and sighed in relief to see her future self walking away. She turned back to Ben and saw a huge wet spot on his shirt. “I am so sorry.”

“It’s okay.” Ben stated as he looked down at his shirt. Truth be told, he hadn’t even noticed until she had said something.

“No I ruined-”

Ben shook his head as he interrupted Beverly. “You didn’t ruin anything Beverly. You never could.”

Beverly felt tears going down her face as she grabbed both Eddie and Ben’s hands. “That was so humiliating.”

“Don’t be humiliated that some piece of trash hurt you.” Mike stated. He couldn’t sit there silently anymore. _Nothing_ gave a man the right to hit a woman. A real man never would.

Beverly turned and looked at Mike shocked. “What?”

“It’s not your fault that the psycho thought it was okay to hurt a woman. One of the first things my dad taught me before he died was that you always need to treat women with respect and if you don’t, you’re no better than the gum on someone’s shoe.”

“I couldn’t have said it any better myself Mikey.” Richie agreed before going to sit at Beverly’s legs. He patted Beverly’s knee. “You’re awesome Bev. Any guy that hurts you will never hold a candle to you.”

Beverly swallowed in an attempt not to start sobbing. She didn’t understand why both Eddie and Ben were squeezing her hands. She didn’t understand why Richie was giving her legs a weird hug and not even attempting to linger his hands. She didn’t understand why Bill, Mike, and Stanley all looked like they wanted to kill her husband. “Why are you guys being so nice to me?”

“I can’t speak for these guys,” Eddie started while Richie, Stanley, and Bill nodded their heads. “But I like you.” Eddie then looked at both Mike and Ben. “I like all of you guys.”

Richie nodded his head. “Yeah, Eddie’s touching your hand. That means you’re special.”

“Shut up asshole.”

“Likes you better than me.” Richie gave a small laugh as his heart fell a little bit. He couldn’t help but wonder. Was Eddie attracted to Beverly like both Ben and Bill seemed to be? And why did thinking Eddie liked someone else make him feel worse than he had before?

Mike smiled at Eddie and Richie’s words. They had even given him a nickname! He pushed away his happiness for a moment and joined Richie on the floor so he could hug Beverly’s legs similarly to how Richie was. “Just so you know Beverly. If anyone should be humiliated, it’s him.”

**Eddie: [Bill and Richie are going through the cabinets in Eddie’s kitchen getting various snacks] Take everything but the delicious deals, guys. My mom loves them. Hey, first you said the barrens and now you're saying the sewer. I mean, what if we get caught?  
**

**Bill: We won't, Eds. The sewers are public works. We are the public, aren't we?**

**Richie: [Opens up a new cabinet] Hey Eddie, are these your birth control pills?** **  
Eddie: Yeah and I'm saving it for your sister. This is private stuff.**

“Pervert.”

Eddie’s face went red as he instantly recognized the voice of Richie’s older sister. “Jackass.”

Richie held in a laugh as he grinned at Eddie. “You said it.”

“Because you were being a jackass.” Eddie grumbled as he looked in any direction than the direction of Richie or his sister.

Richie gasped in mock shock. “Me?”

“Yes you!” Eddie shouted. “You do realize that you egg everything on! That’s not healthy you know! It can be the sign of various diseases! Including asshole-itus.”

Richie snickered smiling at how red Eddie’s face was getting. It almost looked cu-cool. Not cute, cool. “I’m charming.”

“To Hitler maybe.”

“Hey I’m half Jewish!”

Eddie’s face fell. If it would have been Stanley, he would have apologized profusely but it was just Richie. “Oh, I forgot that. Sorry Richie.”

“Stan you heard that right? Let’s gang up on Eddie!” Richie suggested making sure to give what he thought should be an award winning grin to Stanley. He could finally have a partner in making fun of Eddie!

Stanley blinked and debated not replying before sighing. “No.”

“No you didn’t hea-”

“Just no.” Stanley interrupted Richie before he had the chance to come up with something else that he knew was going to be ridiculous to everyone but Richie.

Richie nodded his head but didn’t let his smile fall. It meant more picking on Eddie for him. “Got ya Stan the man!”

**Sonia: Eddie bear, where you boys off to in such a rush?**

**Bill: Um, j-j-just m-m-my ho- my backyard, Mrs. K. I got a new-  
Richie: A new croquet set. Jeez spit it out B-b-b-Bill.”**

**Sonia: Okay. Oh and sweetie, don't go rolling around on the grass, especially if it's just been cut. You know how bad your allergies can get.  
Eddie: Yes mom.  
Sonia: Aren't you forgetting something? Eddie sighs, then walks over and kisses her cheek. As Bill and Richie laugh. Eddie heads back over to the other boys. **

**Richie: Do you want one from me too, Mrs. K?** **  
Eddie: No! Sorry mommy.**

“Is that your mom or your wife?” Richie asked with a small snicker. He was having so much fun with this, even if he was a little-no a lot sad that Eddie was going to end up with a carbon copy of his mother. He would have thought that Eddie would have ended up with someone who didn’t baby him but challenged him. Someone that could make him do that face that always made Richie want to smile. But it was normal to smile when your friend’s made funny faces, he always had.

Eddie shook his head and kicked Richie softly. “Shut up.”

“She really does look just like your wife.” Ben stated nearly slamming his own hand over his mouth after he had done so. He hadn’t meant to say that and with the glare Eddie was giving him, he was pretty sure Eddie hadn’t appreciated it.

“You still call your mom mommy?” Beverly asked. Truth be told it was just an attempt to get Eddie’s glare off of Ben and on to her. She felt like it was the least she could do after all he had helped her.

Richie nodded his head and smiled. “I like you.”

“She likes it better!” Eddie shouted but before he went into the rant he normally would have went on he remembered what they had just seen and held in a sigh. If making fun of him would make her feel better he wouldn’t say anything---at least not right now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So originally this was going to include all the way up until the boys find Ben but then two things came to my mind. One, that would mean this chapter would be even more depressing and two that would probably make this chapter be extremely long. What did everyone think of this chapter though? And should the next chapter be a parents chapter or continue with the kids? Either way my goal is to have the next 2-3 chapters up by this time next week.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The parents react again!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I am not usually one to censor words, but there is one word that I will not type and it is said by a certain dick in this chapter. You have been warned.

Sharon held Georgie in her lap as Sonia and Andrea fought. If there was one empty seat in the theater she would have moved so that her son wouldn’t be forced to hear it. You would’ve thought that since a child was in their midst they would stop, especially considering that both of them would probably go ballistic if their child had to hear what her child was hearing now.

_“If all of you are not quiet so help me I will pull out your tongues! This is a warning. If you want to save your children you must keep watching. You all have the power to save them.”_

“Save Betty?” Sharon asked even though she had a feeling that they would also be saving Georgie if they kept watching. Anything that she needed to do to save her baby, she would. “Everyone be quiet so we can watch!”

“Sharon’s right.” Maggie stated as she grabbed Wentworth’s hand and squeezed it. She tried to avoid looking at Georgie, mainly because she was almost positive he was one of the kids that went missing.

“You’re admitting som-”

“This could also end up saving Stanley too.” Sharon interrupted Andrea before she had the chance to start arguing with Maggie again. If she wasn’t worried for the lives of her children, she might ask what had happened between Andrea and Maggie, obviously something had, she’d known that for years. She might’ve known what it was if they hadn’t had been four grades below her in school. She turned in the direction of the other parents and caregivers “All of our children are at risk. We always say that we’ll do anything for them. This is our chance to prove it.”

“That’s Bill.” Zack stated the second that his and Sharon’s adult son appeared on screen. He beamed a little when he figured out that he was a writer. It seemed like the obvious career path for his son “I always thought he’d be a good writer.

“When he starts writing I better get a free book. I’ve been cleaning his teeth for free for years!” Wentworth exclaimed before crossing his arms when nobody bothered to respond to him. The free teeth cleanings were about to stop!

Zack chuckled and patted Sharon’s shoulder. He wasn’t _meaning_ to ignore Wentworth; he just had no interest in responding to him. “Do you remember that time he told us a story when the power went out?”

“The one about the pets that came back to life?” Sharon shuttered slightly. To this day she still wondered how her son could have managed to come up with something so creepy.

“That’s too old to be Billy.”

Sharon looked around for any advice on what to say to her son. She wasn’t necessarily friends with any of the other parents and wasn’t exactly sure that she would take their advice if they had given it, but what the hell was she supposed to tell her son here.

“Georgie, I think we’ve seen today that anything is possible.” Zack stated seeing that his wife was clearly having a hard time trying to figure out what to say. “See Bill’s a writer. So, you can be a racecar driver, or a truck driver, or a-”

“A clown!”

Sharon’s eyes widened and she shook her head quickly. “No Georgie, you can be anything but a clown.”

Georgie frowned and put his index finger on his chin before finally having a moment of clarity! “President?”

Wentworth snickered and nodded his head. “You’d make a better one than the one we got right now buddy.”

“President Reagan is the best president this country has ever seen and when Bush wins he’ll be great!” Alvin protested angrily. Reagan was an inspiration, his inspiration, and reading about him in the newspaper was one of his favorite parts of the day.

Andrea snickered and rolled her eyes. “Maybe you should keep your opinions in your home.”

“Maybe you should come with me Andy. Don’t worry, I’ll lock the door.” Alvin gave Andrea a smirk and winked at her.

All the color faded from Andrea’s face and her jaw dropped. How? How had she ever dated that man? And how did any man think it was appropriate to talk to a married woman that way?! Even if they did regrettably have a past. “Excuse you?”

“Keep my wife’s name out of your mouth!” Donald snapped as he glared over at Alvin Marsh.

Alvin rolled his eyes. It wasn’t as if a Jew’s opinion mattered to him-everyone knew Jew’s couldn’t have real opinions, and knowing that Donald was the head Jew made him want to piss him off more. “What?! it’s nothing she hasn’t done before!”

“You had sex with that man?!” Maggie asked while pointing her thumb over at Alvin Marsh. Just the thought of being near that man made her uncomfortable. She couldn’t imagine being intimate with him.

Andrea resisted the urge to shake her head in disappointment. Why was who she had slept with prior to her marriage anyone’s business other than her or her husband’s? Now it was probably a certain all the other women at temple were going to be talking about her behind the building again, that _was_ something she could look forward to. “O-of course not! I was a virgin until marriage like any lady should be!”

Sonia laughed, she couldn’t help it! As someone knew Andy Henig before she had become Andrea Uris, she knew for a fact that Andrea got around in high school and had only ‘turned her life around’ when a young Donald had came to town after the other crazy witch man had retired. “Nice to know you’re teaching Stanley to lie.”

“Excuse me?”

“We all know that you got around in high school. Even in middle school.”

Andrea sighed and wondered if this was how Beverly Marsh felt when people around town talked about her. She felt bad for the girl, everyone knew her mother had died years ago, her father was a creep, she was apparently going to get involved with a killer clown, and she had always heard that she didn’t have any friends. It would probably be a huge disappointment for the girl to find out that whoever said that high school didn’t follow you was a bold-faced liar. Maybe she should send her a fruit basket. “They were rumors!”

Sonia shook her head and refused to look at the woman she considered a whorey Jew. “They were true.”

“You know what, go fuck yourself.”

“Andrea!” Donald nudged her and pointed at Georgie. He didn’t approve of cursing in public, even if he found it acceptable in this case, but Georgie didn’t need to learn that kind of language.

Andrea sighed and put on a fake smile. Before facing Georgie. “Sorry Georgie.”

“It’s okay! Billy’s friend Richie likes that word too. He even said I can say it if I want!”

“He said what now?” Zack asked.

“Um,” Maggie looked at Wentworth as she bit back a laugh. Getting Sharon and Zack mad at them would not do anyone any good. “We’ll talk to him, right Went.”

Wentworth shrugged while holding back a smile. His kid was awesome. “Anything we say to him will be in one ear and out the other.”

“Oh I know! Sonia tell Eddie to talk to him. He’ll listen to him more than he would me or Went.” It was just a suggestion but the looks that the other parents gave Maggie almost made her second guess if her idea was as good as she had thought.

Sharon raised an eyebrow. “You’re wanting to pass off your parenting responsibilities to a twelve-year-old?”

“Why not?” Maggie asked. She was only a little bit serious, the last thing she wanted was to give Sonia another thing to complain about, but she was dead-set in believing that when Richie made his mind up on something the only person who could talk him out of it was Eddie.

“It is not my Eddie’s job to _fix_ your son.” Sonia snapped. She hated it that Eddie hung around that dirty boy who was probably a queer to begin with. He shouldn’t have to treat him common courtesy!

Wentworth raised his eyebrow slightly at how she had said ‘fix’ there was nothing wrong with his son. “Our son doesn’t need to be fixed.”

“Well it might make him stop peeing in corners.” Maggie replied with a small laugh. It was no wonder her son seemed destined to be the comic relief in this movie thing. She was hilarious!

“He pees in corners?” Georgie asked shocked. Richie was like the coolest guy ever other than Bill! This had to mean he needed to start peeing in corners too.

Maggie shot a look to Sharon before laughing slightly. “N-it was a joke Georgie. You know dogs do that.”

“They do?” Georgie began tugging on Sharon’s sleeve only a little disappointed that he wasn’t going to be able to pee in corners. “Mommy can we get a dog? Please! I’ll take care of him and everything!”

“We uh can’t right now.” Sharon replied quickly. There was no way in hell that Zack would let them get a dog...

“Yeah Zack’s afraid of dogs.” Wentworth stated as a memory from a few years prior came to his mind.

Zack shook his head and glared at Wentworth. One small incident did not mean he was afraid of dogs. “I am not afraid of dogs!”

“When Richie brought Spida-Hulka-Batdog over to your house-”

“Why did you let him name your dog that?” Sharon interrupted. At this point she was just hoping to change the subject from dogs as fast as she could before Georgie had time to try and guilt them into it.

“It was his dog!” Maggie exclaimed. Truth be told she hadn’t been too crazy about the name, but Richie had loved it

“And where is he now?”

“He got r-” Wentworth glanced at Georgie and stiffened. “He uh ran away. Never could find him.”

Georgie frowned. “That’s sad.”

“I know kid.” Wentworth replied with a small nod.

“You need to talk to him about that.” Sonia stated as Bill went under the door. “My Eddie-bear would never.”

“You’re Eddie-bear would do a lot more than you think bi-” Andrea stopped as she looked at Georgie. She hated that she had let Maggie Rayner get to her after all these years, she hated even more that she was now losing her composure. “Wicked witch.”

“You’re calling me a wicked witch?! You’re Jewish!”

“So?!”

“That’s Bill’s wife.” Zack pointed out the redhead onscreen and smiled proudly. “Looks like the Denbrough men did pretty good for themselves.”

“Where am I Daddy? Aren’t Bill and I always going to be bestest friends?”

“Of course, but I think Bill’s at work.”

“Oh. Okay!”

**Bill: The Studio? When did you become a company man? You're an artist. Come on, what’s wrong with just doing it the way it’s written? The way I want it. What’s wrong with being the woman I want you to be?**

Sharon sighed deeply and shook her head as she motioned for Georgie to go sit in Zack’s lap. “Remind me later that we need to help Bill understand the appropriate way to talk to women.”

“He probably knows.” Georgie stated as he remembered the theater he had in before this. He was about to go and try to sit with Bill before he had been transported in the other theater like a superhero!

“Why would you say that hon?” Sharon asked as her patience began to fade slowly.

Georgie gave her a curious look. Did he really know something his mom didn’t? “They’re watching this too.”

“What?”

“What?!

“WHAT?! This is far too scary for my Eddie!” Sonia got out of her seat. “Eddie-bear! Mommy is coming!” Sonia began running towards the exit before a gust of wind pushed her back into her seat and held her there. “Let me out! I need to protect him! He needs his mommy!”

_“He needs his mommy to calm down and let him watch this! Do you want Eddie to die?!”_

Sonia gasped. “No!”

_“Then sit down and watch this so you can help him.”_

“Is Eddie going to die?!” Sonia yelled. She stomped her foot when there was no answer. “Answer me! Answer me! Does my Eddie-bear d-” Sonia coughed and looked up. She couldn’t talk! What in the world? Why couldn’t she talk? Was she having a stroke? Had she contracted oral cancer? She was going to faint.

**Zack: He's gone, Bill.**

**Bill: But if the storm swept Georgie in, we should have gone...**

**Zack: _[standing up]_** **He's gone! He's dead! He's dead! There's nothing we can do! Nothing! Now take this down before your mother sees it. _[walks to the wall and takes down a map that Bill put up there]_** **Next time you want to take something from my office... Ask. _[he walks out of the garage taking the map with him]_**

“Daddy, why did you say I’m dead? Am I dead?”

“You’re not dead buddy.” Zack stated as his knee began bouncing up and down. He laughed nervously, avoiding the look his wife was without a doubt sending him. “You’re a strong growing boy. Let’s see those muscles.”

Georgie laughed and the tears that had started to come to his eyes faded. He smiled at his father and flexed. “I’m just like the Macho Man!”

“The Macho Man wishes he was as strong as you!” Zack exclaimed with a small laugh. He lifted Georgie up as he continued to flex.

Alvin rolled his eyes. What was it with these people lying to their kids? He was always very honest with Bevvy. “Are you kidding? I watch the Macho Man all the time. You don’t compare.”

“Really Alvin?” Sharon asked while sending him a glare.

Georgie frowned and made his father sit him back in his lap. “Am I not strong?”

“Of-”

“No.” Alvin interrupted Zack. The amount of lying was ridiculous. If George-he refused to think of that kid as Georgie, was going to grow into a man he didn’t need to be babied.

“Shut the hell up Alvin.” Zack snapped as he began bouncing his legs in attempt to make Georgie feel better. “Don’t listen to him son.”

“I don’t believe in lying to my kids.” Alvin turned to Georgie and glared. “By the way, Santa isn’t real.”

Tears began falling out of Georgie’s eyes. Billy had told him Satna was real. Had Bill lied to him? Had his mom and dad lied to him? “Wh-what?”

“He’s a liar Georgie!” Maggie called before she could stop herself. Santa was always her favorite tradition with her kids, she would’ve never told them the truth if she wouldn’t have had to.

“Shut up you dumb whore.”

Maggie gasped as Wentworth stood up. She pulled him back into his seat before he could do anything but he still snarled at Alvin. “Have some respect when talking to my wife or you’re gonna get a boot up your ass!”

“You wanna go Doc?” Alvin asked crudely. He was going to get into a fight before he got out of here, and he was looking forward to kicking someone’s ass.

Wentworth glared at Alvin. He had known him since he was a kid, and he didn’t like him then either. “I’ve been wanting to punch you since I was old enough to punch.”

“Bring it on!” Alvin chuckled when Maggie held her husband from coming after him. Wentworth Tozier was just another weak man controlled by his woman. What’s going on with that _n----_?”

Leroy’s eyes widened. “What did you just call my grandson?”

“N-----.”

Leroy shook his head and looked up. He was not gonna kill that man today. “Lord help this man.”

Sonia screamed the second that the barrier that was keeping her from talking was over. “Is that my Eddie? Is he talking while driving?! Oh no he’s going to die!”

“Sonia calm-” Maggie gasped softly as a woman with an uncanny resemblance to Sonia appeared on the screen. “You look nice blond.”

“I would never! Do you know all the chemicals in hair dye?” Sonia touched her hair and tilted her head at the screen. “What are you talking about, she looks nothing like me?”

“Are we looking at the same person?” Andrea asked before covering her mouth. That poor boy had married someone who looked, sounded, and presumably acted just like his mother.

“The awful woman who seduced my Eddie-bear and talks to him while driving?” Sonia asked. Her heart was still racing from seeing her son talking on the phone while driving! How was that possible anyway?

Sharon glanced at Sonia for a moment with an odd look. “I guess.”

“Then yes.” Sonia watched for a moment before gasping. “My Eddie! He crashed! Your awful grandson and his horrible wife caused him to crash!”

“He did no such thing.” Leroy stated as he looked over at the woman who he was now calling loud crazy lady in his head.

“Well he hadn’t crashed before!”

“He also married a woman who looks exactly like his mother. Are we believing that he is alright in the head?” Leroy asked as he silently wondered how the woman he was talking to had ever had sex with any willing man ever.

“She looks nothing like me!” Sonia snapped. Why were people insisting that they looked alike? Although if she did have to give one compliment to the horrible woman who tried to kill her son, she was awfully pretty.

“Ben has his own company?” Arlene asked before sitting up proudly. Her son, her amazing son owned his own company. She always knew he would grow up to be wonderful. She turned her head swiftly when a woman made a cat call when her Ben appeared on the screen. “Don’t you dare! He’s twelve! And he is much too skinny!”

“He looks like he’s gotten into shape.” Donald stated. He only briefly remembered what the boy had looked like in the flashback-or not as far in the future. But what he did remember was that the boy was a little on the hefty side.

Maggie turned her head and wondered if it was appropriate to find a twelve year old’s forty year old’s self attractive before deciding it probably wasn’t. “Maybe he can get Richie into better shape. I’ve always thought he was a little lanky.”

“He probably hasn’t eaten enough.” Arlene stated as she gave her son a look over. He didn’t look like the Ben she knew. The one who she loved to make sure was always fed.

“What do you mean?” Andrea asked while staring at Ben only to see if he looked underfed, not for any other reason….

Arlene frowned. “Look at him! All of his cute baby fat is gone.”

“Well he is forty here.” Zack reminded her. He had looked a lot different when he had turned forty than how he had looked as a child.

“Still!”

Zack looked at Arlene and held in a sigh. She was obviously doing the best she could, but apparently Ben being healthy to her meant that he had more than enough to eat. “He could still be eating. You couldn’t keep up a body like that without it.”

“Really?” Arlene asked skeptically. She wasn’t sure how well she trusted the other parents, but she knew for a fact that she trusted the guy with the little boy over the weird looking guy who was staring at the rabbi’s wife and the overweight woman.

Zack nodded his head and gave her a smile. “Believe me Marlene.”

Arlene crossed her arms and frowned. “It’s Arlene.”

“Sorry.”

**Georgie: I'm not supposed to take stuff from strangers**

**Pennywise: Oh...well, I'm Pennywise the Dancing Clown. "Pennywise?" "Yes." "Meet Georgie. "Georgie, meet Pennywise." Now we aren't strangers, aren't we?**

Sharon grabbed Georgie’s face to make him face her. “Baby promise me right now that you will not talk to strangers.”

“But he told me his name.” Georgie stated as he tilted his head in the direction of his mother.

Sharon thought a moment about how to adjust it before holding in a sigh. “Okay, then promise not to talk to people who are in sewers.”

“Okay.” Georgie replied with a strong nod.

**Pennywise: Oh. Without your boat? You don't wanna lose it, Georgie. Bill's gonna kill you. Here. Take it. Take it, Georgie**

**Pennywise holds Georgie's boat out of the drain with his right hand. Georgie reaches out both hands, his left to receive his boat and his right for a handshake to signal their friendship. He gets ever closer when--Pennywise lunges. He grabs Georgie's hand and jerks him down and toward the sewer, baring his mouthful of razor-like teeth. Georgie is on the ground. Crawling away from the drain. A gnawed and bloody stump where his right arm used to be seconds ago.**

**Georgie: Help! [Georgie is pulled back into the blackness of the storm drain. Screaming as loud as his little lungs can manage] Billy!**

Georgie whimpered and began to sob as he watched himself be pulled into the storm drain. “Daddy the clown took me!”

“I-It’ll be okay son.” Zack stated as he tried to begin his hands weren’t shaking. What were you supposed to tell your crying son when he watched himself be eaten by a killer clown? “If he ever tries that for real your dad’ll make sure he regrets it.”

Georgie was still crying but it had slowed a little bit. “Promise?” Georgie asked before sticking out his pinky.

Zack nodded his head and took Georgie’s pinky in his. “Promise-promise.”

“I don’t want to be a clown anymore!” Georgie shouted and if the parents in the room hadn’t just watched him die, they would all be laughing.

Sharon patted her son’s shoulder. “That’s a good decision son.”

**Tom: You’re a bad fucking liar, Bev. You’re not going anywhere, okay? I want you to stay right here and you’re gonna show me what it is you’re gonna do with Mike. [Tom slams Beverly against the fireplace] Okay?**

**Beverly: You’re hurting me, honey.**

**Tom: [Grabbing Beverly’s neck] No one else is gonna love you like me. You know that, right? {Beverly scratches him to get him off of her and instantly faces him apologetically]**

**Beverly: I-I-I’m sorry.**

**Tom: {Grabs a belt and begins whipping it at Beverly. She holds up her hands to protect her face. She catches the belt as he goes to swing it again] Don’t make this fucking harder!**

**Beverly: Don’t!**

Arlene gasped and hid her eyes. Zack and Sharon turned Georgie around so he couldn’t see what was happening. Andrea squeezed Donald’s hand as she shook her head. Leroy glared at the screen almost wishing it was real so he could shoot the man.

Maggie sighed and avoided everyone’s eyes. “That poor girl.”

“What do you mean poor girl?” Alvin asked with a scoff. His Bevvy hadn’t told her husband where she was going and she had been running around on him! It seemed like it was worth what she was getting.

Sharon turned her head and tried to sound as compassionate as she could. “Alvin we’re watching your daughter be beaten.”

“He’s teaching her a lesson.”

Andrea frowned as the reason why she and Alvin had broken up when they were still in high school came to her. “Oh god. Do you think it’s okay to hit your daughter?”

“If she deserves it. She gets it.” Alvin replied as if it was obvious. His girl needed him to keep her in line. Without him, she would just end up spreading her legs for any random guy on the street, at least if he had it his way she’d at least be doing it for money soon.

Zack shook his head. If Georgie hadn’t just fallen asleep in his lap he would’ve taken a swing at Alvin by now. “That poor girl.”

“If she wasn’t such a skank I would take her in, but she would corrupt my poor Eddie.” Sonia stated as she sent a judgmental glare to Alvin. All parents should be as caring and as nurturing as her and _never_ hit their child. He probably let her have soda too. It was obvious he was a monster.

Andrea blinked at Sonia and wondered how Sonia possibly could have thought that would add to their conversation. “Trust me Sonia, nobody wants Beverly to move in with you.”

“Yeah! Who do you think you are? Trying to take away _my_ daughter.”

“She may be your daughter but that does not mean she is your property!” Leroy shouted. If that damn voice wouldn’t have flew him there without his gun, a bullet would already be between that man’s eyes.

Alvin snickered. Was a dirty fucking monkey-wannabe telling _him_ how to be a parent. Fucking n— shouldn’t talk when the real people were talking. “Like I’m gonna take parenting advice from a n----.”

“Call me that one more time. I killed three animals today, I don’t mind killing one more.” Leroy replied calmly. He had learned years ago talking to a delusional white man was harder than getting an animal to speak back to you in English, so snapping at one was just gonna get you spat at.

Alvin turned around and smiled when he spotted his good friend. “Butch did you hear that?! N---- just threatened to kill me!”

“Did he now?”

“I didn’t hear anything!” Arlene called up. Normally she wouldn’t be involved in such pettiness, but it seemed like if there was a time to get involved, it was now.

“He’s making it up Butch.” Maggie stated, pulling down her shirt enough to reveal some cleavage. “Believe me Butch, I’d never lie to you.”

“You’re right Maggie. Don’t lie to me Alvin.”

**Eddie: [Bill and Richie are going through the cabinets in Eddie’s kitchen getting various snacks] Take everything but the delicious deals, guys. My mom loves them. Hey, first you said the barrens and now you're saying the sewer. I mean, what if we get caught?**

**Bill: We won't, Eds. The sewers are public works. We are the public, aren't we?**

“Your son is dragging our boys to the sewers! My poor Eddie must be so scared!” Sonia gasped and turned to Maggie and Wentworth. “Your son took my delicious deals!”

“So?” Wentworth asked. It was a snack! That’s what happened when a boy went over to a friend’s house. They ate their snacks…

“They’re my favorites! Give me my money!” Sonia snapped. All of her hard-earned money was going down that queer little boy’s mouth. It made her sick.

Wentworth raised an eyebrow. “Are you serious? This hasn’t even happened.”

“Well you can afford it. I am a single mother-”

“Who makes a living sitting on her fat ass and living off of Frank’s life insurance policy?” Maggie interrupted Sonia while she crossed her arms. How in the world a kid as great as Eddie could’ve came from such a bitch was beyond her.

Sonia glared at Maggie and held in a small smirk. It wasn’t her fault if people were jealous of her. “If it works, don’t fix it.”

**Sonia: Aren't you forgetting something? Eddie sighs, then walks over and kisses her cheek. As Bill and Richie laugh. Eddie heads back over to the other boys.**

**Richie: Do you want one from me too, Mrs. K?  
Eddie: No! Sorry mommy.**

Sonia shook her head in disappointment. Of course those boy didn’t understand her amazing relationship with her Eddie-bear. “Your children need to learn not to laugh at the natural affection between a mother and son.”

“I’m gonna ask you a question, is that alright?” Maggie asked. She glanced from Donald and Andrea, to Sharon and Zack, to Leroy, to Arlene, and to Alvin before finally looking back at Sonia.

“I suppose.”

“Do you let Eddie bathe himself?”

Sonia nodded very proudly. It was finally her chance to brag on Eddie! “He takes a thirty minute bath followed by a ten minute shower every night.”

“I’m a little scared that she didn’t say if she helped him are not.” Andrea muttered to her husband who nodded in agreement.

“Are there anymore wacko parents in Derry?” Sharon asked low enough so only Zack could hear her.

Zack shrugged beginning to be more thankful that Georgie had fallen asleep, even if he was crying. “For the kids sakes, I sure as hell hope not.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys liked this chapter and are all staying safe. The next chapter should be up soon.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben is attacked, the original losers are at the sewers, and the first glimpse of future Henry Bowers.

**Chapter 8. Bowers Ben Sewer Bowers**

**The outside of the library is shown before the camera flashes inside. At a table by himself Ben is writing on a postcard.**

“Oh god, isn’t it supposed to be summer? Why the fuck are they showing us the library?” Richie scoffed causing Ben to sink down into his seat.

“You do know the library is open in the summer too?” Stanley asked holding back from rolling his eyes. He glanced over at Ben, who he was 99% sure was going to be the one that was in the library before smirking at Richie. “Plus, that’s the only place where you have to stop talking.”

“Come on Staniel, you love me!”

“I love when you shut up.” Stanley replied with his arms crossed as he tried his hardest not to grin at Richie.

Richie put his hands on Eddie’s shoulders in mock despair. “You hear that Eds? Our dear friend Stanley has abandoned me!”

“I think I might join him.” Eddie replied before shaking Richie off of him.

Richie gave a fake gasp before jumping up and sitting at the feet of Mike. “You got my back, right Mikey?”

Mike laughed and shook his head. “Sorry man.”

“Abandoned! Alone! A-”

“Can you shut up? I’m trying to watch a killer clown-or us-or whatever the fuck this movie is.” Eddie interrupted him. Even if he would much rather listen to Richie fuck around then watch the movie.

**Ben: [whispering] Your hair is winter fire. January embers. My heart burns there too.**

Ben’s ears turned red. What. Was. Going. On. Was-was that a love note? Oh god, it was going to be to Beverly. He already knew it. He couldn’t imagine anything worse than being turned down by Beverly in front of everybody.

“That’s a really nice poem Ben.” Beverly stated. She felt slightly guilty, because she had an idea that the poem was for her…and she kind of liked Bill right now.

“Th-thanks Beverly.” Ben stuttered before looking away from her before she could see just how red his face had become.

Richie shook his head and snickered slightly. “Nerd alert!”

Stanley rolled his eyes. “Shut up Richie.”

**[Ben is distracted by Eddie, Bill, Richie, Stanley who are riding bikes outside]**

**Eddie: Slower!**

**Bill: Hi-yo Silver away!**

**Richie: Your old lady bike's too fast for us.**

Bill glanced over at Ben and offered him a smile. It was obvious that he had been having trouble making friends. It hadn’t been that long ago when he had become friends with an outcast kid. Hell he had befriended three of them. “Y-y-you’ll have to come with us n-n-next time.”

“All of you.” Stanley agreed as he gestured to Ben, Beverly, and Mike.

Ben’s face brightened. He had only just moved to Derry and now he had the possibility to have six friends instead of sitting in the library by himself all the time with Ms. Davies. “Really?”

“That would be great.” Beverly smiled at them and locked eyes with Bill momentarily. Only to look down when she remembered that Bill was going to end up with that actress lady whose name she had already forgot, and she was going to end up with a younger version of her father, Tom. 

Mike stared at them for a moment. He had seen them all go around town with each other for years, and now-now he had the chance to be one of them. “Thanks.”

**Librarian: [Slams a book on the table] Found it! Isn’t it summer vacation? I would think you’d be ready to take a break from the books.**

**Ben: I like it in here.**

**Librarian: A boy should be spending his summer outside with friends. Don’t you have any friends?**

Beverly rolled her eyed at the librarian who had been giving her grief since the first time she had been caught smoking behind the library. “I always thought Ms. Davies was a bitch.”

“There was a reason her fiancé left her at the altar.” Stanley agreed. It was something he had heard his parents talking about, something he probably wasn’t supposed to overhear, but who cared anyway?

“Wait what?” Ben asked. He didn’t think of Ms. Davies as a friend or anything, but he figured he would have at least heard about an ex fiancé once around town. Especially since he had to pass the ladies in front of the supermarket to get to the library.

“My mom hears stuff.” Stanley stated as if that explained everything.

**Ben: Can I have the book now?**

**The librarian leaves and Ben opens the book. He sees various pictures from Derry’s past, including one from an old Easter Egg Hunt. He turns the pages to see kids, and see that there was an explosion that killed 88 children, 102 total people. He continues flipping the pages until he sees a dismembered child head in a tree and slams the book closed. The camera pans past a newspaper reading _Body found by the canal not Betty Ripsom_. **

Beverly glanced back at Betty. The girl hadn’t ever talked to her, but she had never been mean to her either. “Poor Betty.”

“Poor G-G-Georgie.” Bill looked down. Even though he felt bad for Betty, it seemed like everyone but him gave up on Georgie, probably when Betty went missing too.

“Did you find him?” Ben asked. He had saw Georgie briefly in the movie so he kinda knew what he looked like. The bad news was that he didn’t see him anywhere.

“No.”

“Well maybe he isn’t having to watch this.” Beverly suggested and Bill smiled at her.

“I h-h-hope so.”

**A child’s laugh is heard and a red balloon appears. Ben begins to follow it. He sees an Easter egg trail and begins to follow it down steps. He picks up the last egg and the lights begin to flicker. The lights go off and Ben attempts to hide. A headless person begins to walk down the steps toward him before running at him.**

**Pennywise: Egg boy!**

“The clown!” Eddie shouted before he could help himself. The creepy clown was now going after Ben! And it didn’t look like he had many choices of where do hide.

“Am I going to die?” Ben asked as he stared at the screen in fear. His heart started to beat out of his chest. Was this what it was like to watch yourself die?

“No, we saw future you, remember?” Mike reminded him.

Ben looked down halfway embarrassed. “Oh, right.”

**Ben continues to run and runs straight into the librarian. Causing her to drop her books and gasp.**

**Librarian: What on earth are you doing?**

**Ben runs past her and out of the library not even noticing he was passing Henry Bowers.**

**Henry: Where are you off to, tits? _[Ben turns around and notices Henry and tries to run, only to run right into Vic, who grabs him]_**

Ben gulped silently. Henry Bowers was going to get him. If he hadn’t just been reminded that he was going to grow to be at least forty he would have thought Henry was about to kill him.

“Maybe you’ll get away?” Beverly suggested even though she knew for a fact that he wasn’t going to be able to.

“I don’t think so.” Ben stated. He didn’t dare look away from the screen…his eyes wouldn’t let him if he tried.

“Well think about it, next time it’ll be all of us against them. We can take them!” Richie exclaimed putting his fists in a mock punching position before punching the air.

Stanley blinked before shaking his head at Richie. “Richie there’s four of them.”

“So?” Richie asked with a smirk. He glanced over at Eddie and was slightly disappointed that he didn’t seem to be listening. Only to smile when he sat up swiftly.

“So they’ll beat the shit out of us!”

“Mikey and I can take them, right?” Richie pointed in between him and Mike and wiggled his eyebrows at Eddie.

Mike laughed slightly. “Maybe Richie.”

“Please, call me Trashmouth.”

**Vic: Gotcha!**

**_[Seconds later, Henry, Belch, Vic, and Patrick are dragging Ben along towards a bridge, all talking and laughing.]_ **

**Ben: Wait.**

**Henry: Fucking hold him.**

**Ben: Leave me alone!**

**Patrick: Smack him.**

**Henry: Don't let tubby get away.**

**Ben: Help!**

**Patrick: Get him!**

**Belch: Hold him, Hockstetter.**

**Vic: Get him, Belch. _[Belch pulls Ben's shirt over his head; Vic immediately starts smacking his chest]_ Ah-la-la-la-la!**

Ben looked down and silently wished that the entire school wasn’t seeing his stomach. Or if they had to see it, why couldn’t it be future him? The one with abs and that everyone kept calling hot? “Of course.”

**Ben: Stop! Just leave me alone.**

**Belch: Look at all this blubber! _[He pulls Ben's shirt off his head]_**

**Patrick: _[holding a lighter]_ Let me light his hair, like Michael Jackson. _[he opens the lighter, turns it on, and uses a spray can to emit a blast of flame]_**

**Henry: Just hold him.**

**Ben: Get off me! Get off me! _[the five of them hear a car approaching]_ Help! _[within the car are an elderly man and woman who merely look at them and continue driving]_ Help! _[a red balloon appears in the back of the car]_ Help! _[Henry punches Ben twice, giving him a bloody nose; his ears ring]_**

Stanley looked at the elderly couple in the car. “Are they not going to do anything?”

“They’re adults! How could they not stop him?!” Eddie asked in horror.

“The clown.” Mike replied with a sigh. It was just like his grandfather had told him, Derry was cursed...and the curse just so happened to prevent adults from helping them.

“Why-why is it a c-c-clown?” Bill wondered aloud as he tilted his head. Sure, sometimes clowns could be a little scary, but he didn’t see the point.

“How should I know?” Richie asked as he momentarily sat up. “Clowns aren’t even that scary.”

**Henry: Okay, new kid. _[grips Ben viciously]_ This is what us locals call the Kissing Bridge. It's famous for two things. Sucking face, _[Belch puckers up and makes kissing sounds towards Ben, as Henry pulls a knife and opens it]_ and carving names. **

**Ben: Henry, please. _[Henry ignores Ben and starts cutting his stomach as Ben screams in pain and Belch watches in horror; Vic and Patrick, on the other hand, are enjoying Henry carving an "H" on Ben's stomach]_**

**Belch: Whoa, whoa! Henry!**

“What the fuck is the matter with this guy?” Richie asked as his eyes widened to a point that he didn’t know was possible.

“Oh my god!” Beverly gripped Ben’s hand and began looking away from the screen.

Ben looked in every direction other than Beverly’s. The only thing getting him through this was that she was holding his hand.

**Henry: Shut up! I'm gonna carve my whole name onto this cottage cheese! _[Ben furiously stares Henry in the face before kicking him in the belly; he falls backwards, out of Belch's and Vic's grip, and goes rolling down the hill; Henry, Belch, Vic, and Patrick peer over the railing]_ I'm gonna cut your fucking tits off! I swear to God! Get him! _[Henry, Belch, Vic, and Patrick climb over the railing and give chase]_ Come on! _[Ben continues rolling and tumbling down the hill, coming to a stop as he reaches the bottom, when he hears Henry and his thugs shouting and looks up to see them coming]_ Get him! You can't run!**

**Ben: Oh, no! _[he runs into the forest as fast as he can]_**

**Henry: We need to find Fatty! _[Henry tumbles and rolls down the hill, stopping exactly where Ben was mere seconds ago; he discovers that he lost his knife while tumbling down the hill]_ My knife. My old man will kill me! _[Vic, Patrick, and Belch watch him look for his knife]_ You two, get him!**

**Patrick: Come on! _[he and Belch go after Ben]_**

**Belch: Okay.**

**Henry: _[looking at Vic, who is merely standing there]_ Move your fucking ass! _[Vic immediately starts rummaging through the leaves, looking for Henry's missing knife]_**

**Patrick: _[in the distance, as Ben runs through the forest, trying to escape]_ He's going that way! Come on! _[Ben comes to a section where the path splits to the left and right and takes the path to the left]_ He's down there. **

**_[The path leads to a stream out in the open; Ben looks to his right and heads in that direction. Seconds later, Belch and Patrick reach the section where the path splits; they look around, wondering which way Ben could have gone; Patrick points to the right, instructing Belch to search that path, before walking down the path to the left. Meanwhile, Ben runs as fast as he can through the water.]_ **

“You got away!” Richie cheered. Even if it did suck that Ben had needed to be carved before he had been able to get away.

“They carved a H in his stomach! Do you know how easy that could get infected? Plus there is an Aids epidemic happening right now!” Eddie exclaimed before looking in Ben’s direction. “He’s lucky he even made it to forty!”

“But I did get away though.” Ben stated softly.

“That’s the spirit!” Richie exclaimed before giving the boy a high five by reaching over Eddie.

**[A red balloon is seen through a barred window of a mental asylum. A man with a mullet notices, points to himself and starts laughing. He runs to the window and jumps on the window pane with joy. Other patients begin making their way to the window]**

**Orderly: Bowers! Bowers! Calm the fuck down.**

Richie laughed. “So wait?! We all end up successful and hot-”

“Debatable.”

“Says the guy that grows up to look like a male model.”

Eddie rolled his eyes. “Um maybe your missing that I said that and not Ben?”

Richie smirked at Eddie and hit him playfully. “What are you talking about? Adult you is smoking.”

“I was what?!” Eddie yelled mortified. He couldn’t smoke! His asthma-! He’d die!

“Good Eddie. You looked good.” Richie didn’t understand how jokiness had left his voice and how he was now sounding way too sincere. The thought of the man he was with at the beginning flashed through his mind again. His first question in his mind had been whether or not it was his boyfriend. No matter how much he didn’t want to admit that to himself. Now his heart was beating faster, and he was pretty sure he-the manliest of manly men, was very hot, kind of like he was blushing. Obviously, he wasn’t because he didn’t have a crush on Eddie. Eddie’s his best friend and nothing more.

Eddie gave Richie a curious glance for a second but shrugged it off. That was just Richie. “Oh.”

**[The orderly pulls Henry off the window and begins walking him down the hall. Henry smiles and wakes as he continuously sees the balloon] Looks like we need a little bit of extra medicine today. [The orderly pushes Henry into his room] Stay in your fucking room!**

**[The door shuts and Henry becomes upset when he cannot see the balloon out the window. He reaches under his bed where he finds the red balloon. He tries to pull the balloon out and it pops, revealing a zombie-like Patrick behind it. Patrick crawls out from under the bed and holds out a knife.]**

**Henry: Hockstetter? [Henry grabs the knife from Patrick and looks at it in amazement] My knife.**

“Is it wrong that I’m glad he ends up in a mental asylum?” Beverly asked with a small snicker. She was just glad Henry was far away from them…at least for now.

“It’s where he belongs.” Mike agreed quietly as Mr. Chips entered his mind again.

**[Bill, Eddie, Richie, and Stan have come to the sewer entrance]**

**Eddie: I don't know. I guess. [drops his bike as opposed to putting the kickstand down]**

**Stanley: [pointing at some of the plants around them] That's poison ivy. And that's poison ivy. And that's poison ivy.**

**Eddie: Where? Where's the poison ivy?**

**Richie: [turning towards Stan] Nowhere. Not every fucking plant is poison ivy, Stanley.**

**Eddie: [as Bill and Richie enter the sewers] Okay, well I'm starting to get itchy now and I'm pretty sure this is not good for my...**

**Richie: Do you use the same bathroom as your mother?**

**Eddie: Sometimes, yeah.**

**Richie: Then you probably have crabs.**

Richie laughed despite himself. “You hear that Eddie?”

“I don’t have crabs moron!”

**Eddie: [in the background, as Bill walks into the sewers] That's so not funny.**

**Richie: [looking back at Eddie and Stanley, who are just standing outside] Aren't you guys coming in?**

**Eddie: Uh-uh. [points at the water] It's greywater.**

**Richie: What the hell's greywater?**

**Eddie: It's basically piss and shit. So I'm just telling you, you guys are splashing around in millions of gallons of Derry pee. So... [Richie picks up a stick and sniffs it] Are you-- Are you serious? What are you...?**

**Richie: [speaking in a Spanish accent] Doesn't smell like caca to me, señor.**

**Eddie: Okay, I can smell that from here.**

**Richie: It's probably just your breath wafting back into your face.**

“Ew!” Eddie yelled. He didn’t understand how he could be sitting next to a walking-talking idiotic person who seemed to _want_ to get sick and by extension get him sick!

“Why Richie? Why?” Stanley asked not wanting to admit that he was not at all shocked by what his friend had done. Richie would do anything to get a rise out of Eddie.

“Did you at least like the accent?” Richie asked before everyone avoided his eyes. He sunk back into his chair. “Fine, none of you get tickets to my show when I’m a famous comedian.”

“What’ll we ever do without the masturbation jokes?” Mike asked with a slight laugh.

Richie’s jaw dropped before he counted it into a smile. “Mikey gets off a good one!”

**Eddie: [scoffs] Have you ever heard of a staph infection?**

**Richie: Oh, I'll show you a staph infection.**

**Eddie: This is so unsanitary. You're literally... This is literally like swimming inside of a toilet bowl right now. [Richie uses his stick to pick up a grimy trash bag] Have you ever heard of Listeria? [Richie grins deviously and throws the trash bag at Eddie; he screams as the bag lands at his feet, Bill, meanwhile, has discovered an abandoned shoe] You're the reason why we're in this position right now.**

**Bill: [turning around after examining the shoe] Guys!**

**Stanley: Shit. Don't tell me that's...**

**Bill: [as Eddie feels tense] No. Georgie wore galoshes.**

**Eddie: Whose sneaker is it? [Bill shines his flashlight over the shoe so he and Richie can examine it more closely, and they see the words "B. Ripsom" on it]**

**Richie: It's Betty Ripsom's.**

**Eddie: Oh, shit. Oh, God. Oh, fuck! I don't like this.**

**Richie: How do you think Betty feels? Running around these tunnels with only one frickin' shoe? [lifts his foot off the ground with some amusement and chuckles, then looks at Bill, realizing this is nothing to joke about]**

“Not the time Richie.” Eddie muttered as he shook his head at the screen. He didn’t dare look back at Betty Ripsom…he couldn’t.

“I was _trying_ to lighten the mood!” Richie defended his onscreen self half heartedly. Even though he knew it wasn’t appropriate.

**Stanley: What if she's still here?**

**Richie: [as he and Bill go further into the tunnel] Eddie, come on!**

**Eddie: My mom will have an aneurysm, okay? If she finds out we're playing down here. I'm serious. Bill?**

**Bill: [turning to face Eddie] If... If I was Betty Ripsom, I would want us to find me. Georgie too.**

**Eddie: What if I don't want to find them? I mean, no offense, Bill, but I don't want to end up like... I don't want to go missing, either.**

**Stanley: He has a point.**

**Bill: You too?**

**Stanley: It's summer! We're supposed to be having fun! [Richie looks at Bill and shrugs] This isn't fun. This is scary and disgusting.**

**[At that moment, Ben collapses from exhaustion in the water behind them. Eddie and Stan jump and turn around at the sound of the splashing water. Ben attempts to stand up, but loses his balance and falls to his knees again.]**

**Richie: [as he and Bill come out of the tunnel to see Ben] Holy shit. What happened to you? [Ben looks up at them as Eddie and Stan hurry over to help him up]**

“So that’s how we meet? Ben gets shredded by Henry Bowers and falls into the water?” Richie asked as he tried not to shake at how scary that was. Bowers could have killed him! Not the way that Richie usually thought Bowers would kill _him_. But actually fucking murder!

Bill stared at the screen wide eyed. “I g-g-guess.”

“How did you think we’d meet? Building a dam?” Eddie asked. Although the sarcastic malicious he was trying to get across came across as fear.

“Well-”

“We’re t-t-together.” Bill glanced at Ben and gave him a nod as an apology for interrupting him. He looked over at Mike and Beverly. “S-s-soon we-we-”

“We’ll all be.” Stanley finished for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the original plan was to have this out Saturday, obviously that didn't work out but I hope you guys liked it anyway!


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The reunion dinner, the pharmacy, Ben and Bev meet (twice), and Beverly's sick dad.
> 
> Outside of the movie; Richie, Stanley, Eddie, and Mike make a friendly bet, despite Beverly, Ben, and Bill's objections.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is super long. Just warning you now. It wasn't my intention but I couldn't find another place that I could've ended this chapter.

**Bill walks out of his house and into a restaurant named Jade of the Orient. He is led to a private room by a hostess and nearly trips.**

Richie snickered and had he been next to Bill he would have playfully hit his arm. “Walk much Bill?”

Bill rolled his eyes. “More than y-you T-T-Trashmouth.”

**Bill: Woah**

**Hostess: Careful. This way.**

**Bill: Thanks a lot.**

**Mike: [Spots Bill} Hey.**

**Bill: [Surprised] Oh! Mike, you look good. [Mike runs over to Bill and hugs him] Oh.**

“A little eager huh?” Richie snickered over at Mike. He made sure to smirk at him to make sure the homeschooled kid knew that it was a joke. Say what you want about Richie, but he didn’t actually want to hurt anyone’s feelings.

“W-”

Eddie interrupted Mike when he scoffed and hit Richie gently. “He hasn’t seen anyone in 27 years asshole!”

“Well I’m sure he’s seen _people_ just not us.” Stanley stated only to innocently hold his hands up when he was on the other side of Eddie’s glare.

“D-d-do they really even c-c-count then?” Bill asked before playfully elbowing Stanley.

Stanley rolled his eyes. “Touché.”

**Mike: Bill!**

**Bill: Hey. How you doing?**

**Mike: Bill! [Lets go of the hug] I didn’t know if any of you would-I mean, after all this time-**

**Bill: Yeah**

**Mike: But of course, you came!**

**Bill: You know, an oath is an oath. Losers…gotta stick together, right?**

“An oath? We made an oath?” Beverly asked as she tried and failed to remember an oath being mentioned. She remembered them talking about a promise. “Is the promise we were talking about earlier the oath?”

“About the clown?” Eddie asked slowly as he looked from Beverly to Bill.

Bill swallowed silently as he realized that everyone was expecting him to answer them. “I-I-I don’t know.”

“What kind of oath?” Stanley asked. Even though he had a feeling that Ben was right, and the oath was about the clown, and his gut was telling him that the promise that had been mentioned before was the oath. He just, really didn’t want to believe it.

“A normal one I guess.” Richie replied with a small shrug. Even though he had never referred to anything as an oath before. He had to remember to tell people to take oaths from now on. They sounded much cooler than promises.

“What is an oath anyway?”

“In this case I’m pretty sure it means a solemn usually formal calling upon God or a god to witness to the truth of what one says or to witness that one sincerely intends to do what one says.”

Eddie stared at Ben momentarily before looking at Richie curiously. “It means a promise Eddie.”

“Oh.” Eddie looked down feeling slightly stupid before turning to Richie again. “If it was a normal one then why didn’t we just call it a promise?” 

Richie shrugged again. “Maybe we wanted to be fancy.”  
“Fancy? Are you fucking serious Richie?”

“Well it’s fancier than promise!”

“Just so you guys know, you’re gonna have to get used to that.” Stanley pointed from Richie to Eddie. “They never stop.”

Mike nodded his head. “Noted.”

**Mike: The Losers. You remember that. That’s good. What else do you remember?**

**Eddie: (Approaching with the waitress) I am allergic to soy, anything that has egg in it, gluten, and if I eat a cashew, I could realistically die. (Eddie’s voice fades down as he reaches Mike and Bill. He sees them and looks at them shocked) Holy shit.**

Richie snickered and elbowed Eddie. “Nice to know you’re still a pain in the ass at restaurants.”

“Well excuse me for not wanting to get killed.” Eddie snapped before crossing his arms. “Jesus Richie it’s not like I want to be difficult! It’s allergies! Do you want me to die?”

Richie held back the first thing that came to his mind which was, _God please no._ “It makes it hard to go to restaurants with you.”

“When was the last time we ever went to a restaurant together?”

“I-I don’t know!” Richie replied, even though he knew for a fact it was two days after his sister’s birthday because his parents had said that he could invite one friend to go to his sister’s birthday dinner. Eddie had been a pain is the ass that night, but it had been an amazing night. Eddie had even spent the night afterwards.

**It cuts to Beverly walking toward the restaurant. She stops in front of it as Ben begins to walk behind her.**

**Ben: Is there a password or something?**

**Beverly: [Turning to look at Ben] I’m sorry.**

**Ben: [Smiling] The new kid.**

**Beverly: Ben?**

“You remembered me when you saw me.” Ben stated in amazement. He hadn’t met Beverly in the past part of the movie yet. But in the future, she remembered him!

“Why wouldn’t I?” Beverly smiled and didn’t want to admit to herself that she saw Ben’s face go red, again. Just like she pretended not to notice when his face fell after she added. “We’re friends.”

“Right.” Ben held in a sigh and tried to pretend that Mike’s sympathetic glance made him feel better---it didn’t.

**Ben: [Laughing] Yeah. [Beverly walks over to him and hugs him.]**

**Beverly: Oh my god.**

**Ben: Oh my god. It’s been so long. {Beverly laughs}**

**It flashes back, Ben is getting his bike while holding a display of a historic sight of Derry; behind him, Beverly walks out]**

**Beverly: You gonna let me go by? Or is there a secret password or something?**

**Ben: Oh. Um, sorry.**

**Beverly: Sorry's not a... [Ben drops his display and bends down to pick it up] ...password.**

“You remembered how we met?” Beverly asked. It was crazy to her that someone would remember something that she had probably forgotten very soon after it happened. It made her feel guilty for not feeling the way she could clearly tell Ben felt about her…at least she didn’t think she did.

Ben smiled. It was almost as if movie him had repaid movie Beverly’s favor. “I guess I did.”

Beverly held back a smile. She hated how girly she felt in that moment. Which was not really how she wanted to feel in front of her new boy friends. “Nobody’s ever cared about me that much before.”

“Maybe you haven’t been around the right people.” Ben stated not even blinking before he squeezed and let go of her hand quickly. He wasn’t going to push his look.

Beverly looked at him and would’ve been lying if she said her heart hadn’t fluttered when he had said that.

**[Ben's bike then falls over; Beverly watches him pick it up and try to put his display back together] Henry and his goons are over by the west entrance. So you should be fine.**

**Ben: Oh, I wasn't...**

**Beverly: Everyone knows he's looking for you. [Ben nods] What you listening to? [walks up to Ben and takes his headphones off and puts them up to her ears; hears what sounds like pop music and smiles with utmost amusement as she takes them off] New Kids on the Block.**

“New Kids on the Block?” Richie asked. He was trying desperately not to laugh at Ben. But fuck that was hard.

Stanley silently shushed Richie. Even though he wasn’t the biggest fan of New Kids on the Block either. The little of them he had heard made him want to never listen to music again, but that was just his usually right opinion. “Shut up Richie.”

“I didn’t say anything-”

“Then stop talking.” Stanley interrupted Richie before he could go off on a tangent and inevitably get Eddie started.

**Ben: I don't even like them. I was just...**

**Beverly: Wait. You're the new kid, right? Now I get it.**

**Ben: There's nothing to get.**

**Beverly: I'm just messing with you. [puts Ben's headphones back on his head; he reaches up to try and put them on the right way again] I'm Beverly Marsh.**

**Ben: Yeah, I know that 'cause we're in the same class. Social Studies. And you were... I'm Ben. But pretty much everybody just calls me...**

**Beverly: The new kid. Well, Ben, there are worse things to be called. Let me sign this. [takes Ben's yearbook out of his backpack and writes her name in it using her left hand, adding a couple hearts as well] Stay cool, Ben from soc class. [walks away while looking at Ben with a beautiful smile]**

“Wait a second.” Stanley turned to Ben and looked back at the yearbook page on the screen. Was it possible that—it couldn’t be, right?

“Yeah?”

Stanley felt slightly guilty now that he thought about it for bringing it up in front of Beverly. It was obvious that Ben either currently had, or according to this movie going to develop, a crush on Beverly. “Was that the thing in your wallet?”

“Huh?” Ben asked as he thought back to when adult him was on the screen. He had been looking at something in his wallet. Oh god. It probably was. Beverly was going to think he was pathetic!

“When Mike called adult future you. You looked at something in your wallet.” Stan explained as the other losers, minus Ben, perked up in interest.

Ben’s face turned red. Why was nobody else being humiliated in this movie? He’d give anything for it to be shifted on someone else!---Wait that wasn’t true. Or was it? He wasn’t really sure. No! He didn’t want any of them to be humiliated. That was it! “I-um I’m not sure.”

“You kept my signature for twenty-seven years?” Beverly asked. Her heart began fluttering again, but she felt guilty for wishing it was Bill that was making her heart flutter. Maybe he would later? She shook the thought out of her mind and focused on being grateful that someone actually cared about her that much.

“I feel bad for Bill but I’m rooting for the other guy.” Richie stated with a snicker. Causing the three of them to look at him.

“I’ll take that bet.” Stanley replied before shaking Richie’s hand. Ben and Beverly seemed a little too perfect so far. It could be a swerve.

Richie smirked at Stanley and raised any eyebrow. “You’re team Billverly?”

“What the hell is a Billverly?” Eddie asked as he looked at Richie like he had two heads.

“Bill and Beverly.” Richie replied causing both Bill and Beverly to glare at him. “What?”

“F-f-f-”

“Oh, then fine yeah I’m team Billverly.” Eddie gave Bill a nod and a thumbs up while Bill gave him a ‘what the fuck’ look.

Beverly shook her head. Her love life wasn’t the point of this movie! She wasn’t Molly fucking Ringwald! Besides, she had a husband! “You already saw that I ended up with Tom.”

Stanley shrugged. “Movie’s not over until it’s over.”

“You’re not betting on the three of us.” Beverly stated as both Ben and Bill nodded in agreement. Plus it was weird that they had literally _just_ became friends and now all of a sudden she was in some weird love triangle Duckie and Blane.

“Why not?”

“Because it’s weird?” Ben suggested. Of course his humiliation was coming from his friends now. What else could he have expected after what had happened on screen.

“It’s d-d-demeaning.”

“I’m team Billverly too.” Stanley stated, ignoring that Beverly, Ben, and Bill were protesting. But, he felt like he needed to make it clear whose side he was on.

Beverly rolled her eyes. She wasn’t even going to pretend the speculating on her future love life wasn’t annoying her. “I don’t have to end up with either of them. You do know just because I’m the only girl that doesn’t mean that I’m going to end up with one of them.”

“You have seen any movie ever, haven’t you?” Richie asked with a small snicker.

Beverly crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. She had to tell herself that it was just how Richie was. “Well what if you’re the one who ends up with someone?”

“Bev I doubt me and you are gonna end up together.”

Beverly gave him a half smirk. “Who said you’re gonna end up with me?”

Richie let himself panic for one millisecond before he realized Beverly was joking. There was no way she knew that he was maybe-possibly-fine was it that bad to admit in his head that he sometimes had gay thoughts? That didn’t mean he was gay! And it wasn’t like he actually wanted to kiss a gi-boy. It wasn’t like he wanted to kiss a boy!

**Ben: Uh, yeah. You too, Beverly.**

**Beverly: Hang tough, new kid on the block.**

**Ben: [laughs] "Please Don't Go, Girl." That's the name of another New Kids on the Block song. [walks off while dragging his headphones along behind him]**

Mike patted Ben’s shoulder as he held in a laugh. “At least you have your pride.”

“You sure about that?” Ben asked as he covered his hands in his face. Richie, Eddie, and Stan were literally betting on his love life.

“You know what, I’m team Benverly.”

“You came up with our ship name!” Richie jumped out of his seat and high fived Mike. He made sure not to high five Mike longer than a millisecond, that way nobody was going to think of it as a gay thing.

Ben sighed and decided he was never looking up again. “Oh god.”

**Richie: [Walks out of his car and looks at Ben and Beverly who are still hugging] Wow. You two look amazing. What the fuck happened to me? [Ben and Beverly let go and chuckle at Richie. He begins walking towards Ben] What’s going on, man?**

**Ben: Hey, man.**

**Richie: It’s Richie. Hi {Richie hugs Ben for a moment]**

**Ben: Yeah. It’s Ben.**

**Richie: {Goes into hug Beverly] Hi**

**Beverly: Hey.**

“Where’s Stanley?” Eddie asked suddenly. He felt a little uncomfortable when everyone turned to him but made sure that he was sitting up straight.

“Huh?” Ben asked.

Eddie gestured to the screen. “We’re all there so far except Stanley.”

“Maybe he’s running late?” Mike suggested despite not truly believing it. He had told Stanley over the phone that it was important. So unless something very important came up, Stanley must be on his way…hopefully.

“Did you back out on the oath Stan?” Richie asked trying his best to pretend like he wasn’t terrified for his friend.

Stanley rolled his eyes. “How would I know this?”

“I don’t know! It’s you?”

**Patrick: _[walking forward with his spray can and lighter in front of him, he hears more clattering]_ I hear you, tits. _[discharges a jet of fire]_ Don't think you can stay down here all damn day now. _[he suddenly starts hearing voices and sees dark figures walking towards him]_**

**Voices: You found us, Patrick.**

**_[Patrick uses a jet of fire to reveal numerous bloody corpse-like zombies walking towards him; he is horrified.]_ **

**Zombie: Patrick.**

**_[Patrick gasps and screams and runs for it, trying to find a way out, tripping in the grimy water, getting blood all over his face and shirt. Hearing the voices laughing in the distance, he turns a corner, only to find his path blocked by a grating.]_ **

**Patrick: Fuck! _[He grabs a pipe and holds it up defensively in case they find him. A red balloon comes toward him and spins around to read "I Heart Derry". The balloon then pops, and Pennywise appears as children are heard singing. Patrick screams as Pennywise snarls and charges at him, devouring him.]_**

**_[Patrick's scream is heard as Bill, Eddie, Richie, and Stan bike through the woods back into town, with Ben riding on the back of Bill's bike.]_ **

“D-did we just watch P-P-Patrick die?” Bill asked. He had never liked Patrick-he was pretty sure that not even Patrick’s parents liked Patrick. But that didn’t mean he wanted to watch him die.

“He was dead in Bowers’ room.” Mike reminded him.

Richie gulped silently. “I thought it meant he was afraid of zombies or something.”

“Well apparently he’s dead.” Stanley stated. And to be frank. He wasn’t that upset about it.

**Eddie: [as they come out of the woods and into town] I think it's great that we're helping the new kid, but we also need to think of our own safety. I mean, he's bleeding all over and you guys do know that there's an AIDS epidemic happening right now as we speak, right? My mom's friend in New York City got it by touching a dirty pole on the subway. And a drop of AIDS blood got into his system through a hangnail. A hangnail! [they bike into an alley] And you can amputate legs and arms. But how do you amputate a wa-- How do you amputate a waist? [as Bill gets Ben seated on a wooden box and Richie sets his bike down] You guys do know that alleys are known for dirty needles that have AIDS, right? You guys do know that? Hey...**

Beverly blinked in shock. “How is it possible to talk that fast?”

Richie snickered at patted Eddie’s shoulder in the straightest kind of way. “Meet Eddie, he makes it possible.”

“Shut up Richie.” Eddie pushed Richie’s hand off of him. Of course Richie would use this as a a chance to make fun of him! Even if they were staring at Ben looking like somebody killed him!

“Am I wrong?”

“You’re wrong all the time assface!” Eddie yelled. He knew Richie was right, but he had made a pact with himself years ago he’d never admit Richie was right.

Richie held in a laugh and forced himself to think that wasn’t cute. “Assface?”

“Beep fucking beep!” Stanley interrupted Richie and Eddie and sent a glare to both of them. “Let’s just watch the movie!”

**Bill: Ah, we're screwed. Richie, wait here. Come on. [he, Eddie, and Stan run off to get some medical supplies, leaving Richie to keep Ben company]**

**Richie: Glad I got to meet you before you died. [Ben looks at Richie blankly]**

“Glad to meet you to?” Ben didn’t think he should be offended. Richie was probably kidding. Right.

“Righto Benny!” Richie exclaimed.

**[In the pharmacy, Eddie grabs several items from the shelf for Ben's wounds.]**

**Bill: Can we afford all that?**

**Stanley: [holding a few dollar bills] That's all we got.**

**Eddie: You kidding me?**

**Bill: Wait, you have an account here, don't you?**

**Eddie: If my mom finds out I bought all this stuff for myself... I'm spending the whole rest of the weekend in the emergency room getting X-rayed.**

**[In another aisle, Beverly is buying some Tampax. She then walks out of the aisle and is about to go to the counter to pay for it, when she sees Gretta coming her way.]**

“Oh my god.” Beverly buried her head in her hands. This was happening in front of all her friends. And they were all boys!

“You know when I had a dog she went into heat. So you’re just going into heat.” Richie stated with a small smile. He thought it might make her feel better...he didn't think it worked.

Beverly groaned. “Oh _god_.”

Stanley could hear his father’s voice in his head telling to defend Beverly. But was there any way to make it sound natural? “Richie just shut up it’s completely-” Stanley coughed as awkwardness became apparent in his voice. “Natural.”

Eddie looked down. He knew his mom was going to have a fit if she knew he was watching a girl by tampons and listening to his friends talk about what she would call ‘womanly dealings’ she would go crazy. He tried to think of something, anything, to change the subject. “Wait a second Spida-Hulka-Batdog was a girl?”

“And a pretty one at that.” Richie replied with a huge grin. He missed his dog. It was too bad she ran away when she did.

**Gretta: See you later, Dad.**

**Mr. Keene: See you, Gretta. [Beverly quickly goes to the next aisle to avoid another round of harassment from Gretta, where she runs into Bill and the others; she hides the Tampax behind her back as Bill and Eddie glance at her.]**

**Bill: You okay?**

**Beverly: [as Gretta walks out of the pharmacy behind her] I'm fine. What's wrong with you?**

**Stanley: None of your business.**

**Eddie: There's a kid outside. Looked like someone killed him.**

Stanley rolled his eyes as Eddie sent over an apologetic look to Ben. “God you spend too much time with Richie.”

“No he doesn’t!” Richie spat out before Eddie had the chance to say anything. They were around each other the right amount of time. They didn’t spend a gay amount of time together! Wait, how much time was a gay amount of time? Did he spend a gay amount of time with Eddie?

“Yeah, I don’t!” Agreeing was different than admitting Richie was right. “And it’s true!”

“Well still.” Beverly couldn’t help but laugh. She cleared her throat and turned to Ben. “Sorry Ben.”

“It’s okay.”

**Bill: We need some supplies, but we don't have enough money.**

**[Beverly looks at them for a second, then glances at the counter, looking as though she just came up with an idea.]**

**Beverly: I like your glasses, Mr. Keene. You look just like Clark Kent.**

**Mr. Keene: Oh. [chuckles] I don't know about that.**

**Beverly: Can I try them?**

**Mr. Keene: Mmm. Sure. [he takes his glasses off and gives them to Beverly; she chuckles and puts them on]**

**Beverly: What do you think?**

**Mr. Keene: [even without his glasses, he clearly still has very good eyesight] Well, how about that? You look just like Lois Lane.**

Ben’s jaw dropped. An adult was talking like that to a middle schooler? “He’s creepy.”

“You say that like he doesn’t stare at every girl’s legs when they walk into the store.” Beverly replied with a shrug. She was used to Mr. Keene acting like that.

“He does?” Eddie asked. He was in the pharmacy all the time and he had never seen Mr. Keene doing that.

“Yeah. Everyone calls him Creepy Keene for a reason.”

“Who calls him Creepy Keene?” Mike asked curiously. He didn’t like Mr. Keene and since Mr. Keene had once banned him from coming to his store for ‘shoplifting’ which he hadn’t done. He had been in line to buy a candy bar when Mr. Keene had stopped to make a call. Next thing he knew the cops were there and had escorted him out of the store.

“Some girls.” Beverly wasn’t friends with the girls that called him that. They were after all the same girls who commonly called her names, but they were right about Mr. Keene.

**Beverly: [laughs] Really?**

**Mr. Keene: [nods] Mmmm.**

**Beverly: [taking the glasses off] Well, here you go. [she pushes several packs of Carolina menthol off the counter] Shoot. I'm so sorry.**

**Mr. Keene: It's okay. [he puts his glasses back on and bends down to pick them up; Beverly then glances over her shoulder at Bill, Eddie, and Stan, who immediately run out while Mr. Keene isn't looking; Beverly then pays for her stuff]**

“You shoplifted?” Richie didn’t even try and hold in his laughter. Eddie Kaspbrak and Stanley Uris shoplifting was like Bowers being nice. It just didn’t happen.

“It-it was for a good cause dipshit.” Eddie hissed. “We’re helping Ben!”

Ben smiled slightly at that. “Thanks.”

“No p-p-problem.” Bill stated.

**The gong sounds and Eddie, Mike, and Bill turn towards it.**

**Richie: This meeting of the Losers’ Club has officially begun.**

**Eddie: [Pointing] Look at these guys!**

**Richie mouths Ben and sticks his arms out referencing Ben’s loss of weight.**

Stanley turned to Richie, who was laughing at his own joke “Really Richie?”

“That’s why I’m a comedian.” Richie wiped a small tear out of the corner of his eye. “No offense Ben.”

“None taken?” Ben phrased it like a question because he wasn’t sure of what else he could say.

**The camera cuts and they are all at the table clinking shot glasses together. Richie drinks his shot with only his mouth before putting the glass on the table.**

**Richie: So, wait, Eddie, you got married?**

**Eddie: Yeah, why’s that so fucking funny, dickwad?**

**Richie: What to like, a woman?**

Richie’s eyes widened. Did future him have a crush on future Eddie? Oh god. He didn’t grow out of it. In the future he was still-still ga-. Richie stopped and refused to think of the word anymore. He felt tears come into his eyes. Of course _he_ didn’t have a crush on Eddie. Future him did. And he would make sure that never happened.

“Are you okay Rich?”

Richie forced himself to smile at Eddie. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“You seem upset.” Eddie stated. He stared at Richie as he tried and failed to think of anything that could be making him upset.

 _Act straight, act straight, act straight_ kept running through Richie’s mind. “I’m not…dude.”

Eddie gave him a curious look and put his hand on Richie’s shoulder, which the other instantly shrugged off. Whatever, he wasn’t even going to bother anymore. “Fine. Don’t tell me.”

**Eddie: Fuck you, bro. {Richie laughs}**

**Richie: Fuck you!**

**Bill: What about you, Trashmouth? You married?**

**Beverly: There’s no way Richie’s married.**

**Richie: No, I got married.**

**Beverly: Richie, I don’t believe it.**

**Eddie: When?**

**Richie: Did you not hear this?**

**Eddie: No.**

**Richie: You didn’t know I got married?**

**Eddie: No.**

**Richie: Yeah, no. Me and your mom are very, very happy right now.**

“This man is forty ladies in gentleman.” Stanley gestured at the screen and pretended that he wasn’t laughing at Richie’s joke.

“You’ll never quit.” Eddie stated in amazement. He was never going to get rid of your mom jokes. Except the twenty sevenish years that they didn’t see each other. But then he wouldn’t have his best friend, so they didn’t count.

“Being hilarious?” Richie ‘finished’ for Eddie. He gave Eddie a smile that you could only give to a bro who you didn’t have a crush on.

“No, being annoying!”

“Not to your mother.”

“If she saw this, she’d have a heart attack!”

Richie licked his lips. At least he would always have Eddie’s mom jokes, unless Eddie stopped seeing him because of his thing. “Sexy.”

“Are you-are you being serious right now?” Eddie asked as he gave Richie a look of disgust.

“As a-” Richie laughed. “Heart attack.”

Eddie glared at him. “I’m going to kill you.”

Richie laughed again and before he could stop himself he said-“Kinky.”

“For the love of-”

“For the love of all of our sanity, beep beep. Both of you.” Beverly interrupted them. She had noticed that it had worked earlier. So that’s probably what they said to shut Richie up.

Stanley smiled. “Couldn’t have said it better myself.”

**The Losers’ Club, sans Eddie, all laugh at Richie’s joke.**

**Beverly: Yeah, very happy.**

**Bill: He totally fell for it!**

**Eddie: Fuck you.**

**Richie: She’s very sweet. Sometimes, she’ll put her arm around me and she’ll whisper to me, she’ll go [Begins imitating Jabba the Hutt speaking alien language]**

**Eddie: We all get it. My mom was a great, big, fat, person. Hilarious. Hysterical.**

Richie gave a fake shocked gasp. “How dare you talk about my wife like that?”

“She said beep beep Richie.” Stanley reminded him.

**[Back in the alley, Eddie is using the things they just stole to attend to Ben's injuries.]**

**Richie: Just suck the wound.**

**Eddie: I need to focus right now.**

**Richie: You need to focus?**

**Eddie: [as he tries to put the bandage over the "H" on Ben's stomach] Yeah, can you go get me something?**

**Stanley: Jesus! What do you need?**

**Eddie: Go get my bifocals. I hid 'em in my second fanny pack. [Bill stands at the alley entrance as he watches them]**

**Stanley: Why do you have two fanny packs?**

**Eddie: [as Bill stands at the alley entrance and walks out to the street] I need to focus right now and it's a long story. I don't want to get into it.**

“Why do you have two fanny packs?” Mike asked. He didn’t mean anything rude by it. But why?

Eddie rolled his eyes. Now was really not the time to get into this. “I-”

“Why do you even have a fanny pack?” Ben asked. He had moved around a lot and he never saw anyone his age wear a fanny pack.

“They’re practical! And comfortable! And stylish!” Eddie exclaimed. He had been the only kid carrying a fanny pack the first day of kindergarten. That automatically meant he was the most safety cautious. Which was a great thing to be!

“Um-”

“One carries my medical supplies in case of injury and the second has more recreational things like my wallet, a comic book, and my bifocals.” Eddie explained after interrupting Beverly.

“Why don’t you just carry them in one?” Stanley asked.

Eddie narrowed his eyes at Stanley. “Do I look like I would enjoy having to clean anti-bacterial cream off a comic?”

Richie laughed. “Yes, yes you do.”

“I’m not fucking Stanley!”

“Hey!”

“Sorry Stanley.” Eddie looked down slightly. “Plus I don’t want anything to spill in that fanny pack.”

Beverly gave him a curious glance. “Why? You have another one.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“It was his dad’s.” Richie stated causing everyone to go oddly quiet. Eddie had told him that years ago when Bowers had thrown it in the woods. They spent the whole afternoon looking for it.

Ben looked down. He always had his dad’s lucky silver dollar in his pocket. He hadn’t realized Eddie’s dad was dead too. “Sorry Eddie.”

“It’s fine.” Eddie looked at Richie. He was surprised that Richie had remembered that. “You guys didn’t know.”

**[As Bill steps out onto the street and looks to his right, he sees Beverly walking towards him; at the sight of her, he stands there, mouth agape, as she walks right up to him.]**

**Bill: [smiles for a second, then reaches into his pocket and pulls out a dollar bill] Um, thanks.**

**Beverly: [holds up a pack of cigarettes, most likely for repelling unwanted guests] Even-steven. [she winks]**

Bill was glad that he was having a moment with Beverly. He liked that he was having a moment with the girl that he liked even if he wasn’t going to end up married to her. Maybe the future could change? Maybe he could end up with Bev in the end. Only now he was counting down in his head until someone, probably Stanley or Eddie, were going to say something.

5.

4.

3

2.

1.

“Billverly.” Stanley stated with a smirk. He knew it was probably annoying to Ben, Bill, and Bev, but Richie was annoying all time so, who was worse?

Beverly sighed with frustration. “Shut it.”

“My boy Ben will come back!” Richie gave another glance to Ben hoping maybe he had just misunderstood. But Ben had just rolled his eyes.

**Stanley: [from the alley] Oh, God, he's bleeding. Oh, my God!**

**Beverly: [looks to her left upon hearing his voice and sees Ben sitting there] Ben from soc? [she walks into the alley]**

**Richie: [as Eddie tries to put the band-aid on Ben] You have to suck the wound before you apply the band-aids. This is 101.**

**Eddie: You don't know what you're talking about.**

**Beverly: [walking up to them, followed by Bill, she notices Ben's injuries] Are you okay? That looks like it hurts.**

**Ben: Oh. No, I'm good. I just... fell.**

**Richie: Yeah. Right into Henry Bowers.**

**Bill: Shut it, Richie.**

**Richie: Why? It's the truth. [Ben just shrugs]**

**Beverly: You sure they got the right stuff to fix you up? [she smiles at Ben, who smiles back at her]**

**Bill: You know, we'll take care of him. Uh, thanks again, Beverly.**

**Beverly: Sure. Maybe I'll see you around.**

**Bill: Yeah, we were thinking about going to the quarry tomorrow, if you wanna come. [Richie and Ben both look surprised about Bill inviting a girl to join them]**

**Beverly: Good to know. Thanks. [she smiles and waves at Ben as she walks away]**

**Stanley: [looking at Richie as Beverly leaves] Nice going bringing up Bowers in front of her.**

**Eddie: [standing up] Yeah, dude, you heard what she did.**

**Ben: [confused] What'd she do?**

**Richie: More like, "Who'd she do?" From what I hear, the list is longer than my wang. [runs his hand along his groin]**

Richie looked at himself in horror. Truth be told he probably wouldn’t have if Beverly wasn’t his friend, but since she was, it made him feel terrible. “Sorry Beverly.”

Beverly sighed. It wasn’t like she had expected them not to believe the rumors before she had told them they weren’t true. “It’s fine.”

“No it’s not. You said earlier that they’re just rumors and I believe you. No matter what movie me says.”

“Thanks Richie.”

“Anytime Marsh.”

**Stanley: That's not saying much.**

**Bill: They're just rumors.**

“You didn’t believe them?” For a moment Beverly forgot about the small bet going on between the boys who she apparently wasn’t going to be romantically linked to in the movie…unless-she wasn’t going to be with all of them, was she? Who the hell could come up with something like that? They’d have to be on cocaine.

“Of c-c-course not.” Bill smiled at her and had he been next to her, he would’ve dared to hold her hand. “I n-n-never have.”

**Richie: Anyway, Bill had her back in third grade. [Ben looks up at Bill] They kissed in the school play. [Stanley smiles at Bill] The reviews said you can't fake that sort of passion. [speaks in a British accent and claps his hands] Now, pip-pip and tally-ho, my good fellows, I do believe this chap requires our utmost attention. [pushing Eddie forward] Get in there, Dr. K. Come on, fix him up.**

**Eddie: [as he bends down to once again work on Ben's injuries] Why don't you shut the fuck up, Einstein, because I know what I'm doing, and I don't want you doing the British guy with me right now.**

**Richie: [in his British accent] Suck the wound. Get in there.**

Mike looked from Beverly to Bill. “You guys had to kiss in third grade? For a play?”

“Yeah half the adults in Derry are creeps.” Beverly stated. Now that she thought about it, the play was very inappropriate for third graders.

“Trust me, I know.” Mike agreed.

**Richie: Yeah it is a nice watch. Wait, let’s talk about the elephant not in the room. Ben. What the fuck man?**

**Ben: Okay, okay. Obviously, I lost a few pounds.**

**Richie: Lost a few pounds?**

**Eddie: Yeah, no shit you lost a few pounds.**

**Richie: You’re hot!**

**Eddie: That’s true.**

**Richie: No, you’re like every Brazilian soccer player wrapped into one person.**

“This again.” Ben muttered. When was the humiliation going to end?

Richie’s eyes widened. Oh god! Did future him have a crush on future Ben too? Was he going to tell them? He froze. For the first time he remembered that it wasn’t just them. For whatever reason it was like the other kids had been muted, but the were still there…if future him wasn’t careful. He could end up just like Adrian. And Ben had obviously cracked him! He knew that Richie was not straight! “I’m so sorry Ben.”

“It’s fine.” Ben’s tone let him know that he didn’t like the compliments.

Richie looked at Ben momentarily before looking down. Ben obviously hated him now.

**Beverly: Leave him alone. You’re embarrassing him.**

**Ben: Okay, okay, all right. Please come on. Is Stanley coming or what?**

**Eddie: Someone save me. [Bill guffaws] Stan.**

**Richie: [Looking at the empty chair between him and Eddie] Stan, uh Stan Uris. Stan Urine. Stanley Urine. No, no, he’s a fucking pussy. He’s not gonna show.**

**Eddie: Why would Stanley save you, anyway? Was I not the one who basically performed surgery on you? After Bowers cut you up? [Eddie hit Ben gently]**

“Nice to know we still remember that.” Ben stated with a small sigh. Maybe he would get used to the humiliation and then it would be easier.

“It’s not easy to forget the fact you looked like you just went through a shredder.” Eddie replied only to shrug afterwards. He was liking the bluntness of his movie self, so he decided he should try and do that here.

Richie grinned shaking off Ben’s hatred for him. “Eddie Spaghetti! Did you just get off a good one?”

“Take your sock and suck on it.”

“After you.” Wait did that sound not straight? He nervously glanced over at Eddie and it didn’t seem like he thought it wasn’t.

“That is disgusting! You never wash your socks!”

“My mom does.”

“How often?”

“I don’t know, every laundry day.”

“My mommy washes my clothes every day.”

Richie tried his best not to shake his head at his best friend. Despite all of his jokes about Mrs. Kaspbrak, he knew she was crazy. “She also took all the doors off in your house.”

“She did what?” Beverly asked her jaw nearly dropping when she heard that. She hoped her father never decided to do that…

“Not all the doors! There are still doors in her room and her bathroom. Plus, we still have the front door! She read a study that too much access to doors causes cancer for boys!”

By this point, Stanley knew it was hopeless to try and reason with Eddie. It would take a miracle to get him off his mother’s spell. So he turned his attention to Beverly. “His mom’s crazy.”

“No, she isn’t! She’s protective, but she’s not crazy.” Eddie defended his mother. Sure he didn’t like her rules. But just because she had a lot of them doesn’t mean she was crazy.

Richie sighed. “Let’s go with that Eds.”

**Ben: Yes!**

**Eddie: Holy shit! That’s right!**

**Beverly: Please tell me you ended up becoming a doctor, Eds.**

**Eddie: No, I ended up becoming a risk analyst.**

“What the fuck is a risk analyst?” Richie asked as he turned to Eddie.

“I don’t know!”

**Richie: Oh, that sound really interesting. What does that entail?**

**Eddie: Yeah, so I work for a big insurance firm and-[Eddie stops when Richie begins to mock snore causing all their friends to laugh] Fuck you, dude. Fuck you.**

**Richie: Was this job invented before fun?**

**Eddie: Oh, that’s so not funny.**

**Richie: It is funny.**

“That’s not funny.” Eddie grumbled before crossing his arms. He had a very serious job! He worked for an insurance company! It was not boring.

Richie laughed. Adult him was at it again. “Yes it was.”

**Eddie: [Turning to Ben] What the fuck are you laughing at?**

**Beverly: I propose a toast. To the Losers!**

**They all clink their glasses together before a montage begins. Beverly and Richie nearly kiss but she instead hits him with chopsticks. Eddie and Richie begin arm wrestling (Eddie: Let’s take our shirts off and kiss!) Eddie nearly wins before Richie easily defeats him. The food comes around and they all eat.**

Richie looked down as Eddie’s words kept replaying through his mind. _Let’s take our shirts off and kiss, Let’s take our shirts off and kiss, Let’s take our shirts off and kiss, Let’s take our shirts off and kiss._ And he wanted to. What did that mean? It couldn’t-it didn’t h-Richie cut off his thoughts by sighing. For the love of fuck…he had a crush on his best friend. His hands started shaking, and he looked over at Eddie. He _had_ always liked being close to Eddie. He had always enjoyed it when they fought, and he had got to touch him for a few seconds.

“Are you okay Rich?”

“Fine.” Richie replied swiftly and his mind very nonchalant. Even if everyone else could hear the worry in his voice. All he had to do was never tell anyone ever and nothing would change. All his friends would still like him and his family would still love him.

 **_[At Beverly's apartment, the TV is on, the door opens, indicating Beverly has just returned home, she looks in the living room to see if her abusive father, Alvin_ ** **_, is there; he's not, walking down the hallway, Beverly comes face-to-face with her dad]_ **

**Beverly: Hi, Daddy.**

**Alvin: Hey, Bevvie. _[glances at the bag in her hands]_ Whatcha got there? **

**Beverly: _[looks down at her bag and back at him again]_ Just some things. **

**Alvin: Like what? _[takes the bag from her so he can look inside, then looks at her with a somewhat threatening smile and puts his hand on her neck and lower cheek, then puts his other hand on her hair before gently pulling her closer and sniffing her]_ Tell me you're still my little girl. **

**Beverly: Yes, Daddy.**

**Alvin: _[gently pushing her past]_ Good. _[as Beverly goes into her room and Alvin goes to watch TV]_**

**_[In the bathroom, Beverly stands at the sink with the water running, shaking and sobbing, sick of her father treating her the way he does. She then picks up a pair of scissors and starts cutting her hair.]_ **

**Beverly: _[muttering]_ This is what you did. This is what you... _[she snorts in anger]_ This is...**

**_[She cuts her hair furiously, letting it go down the drain; she continues cutting her hair until it's completely short. She then looks at herself in the mirror.]_ **

Mike cleared his throat. He wasn’t exactly sure what he was supposed to say to that. They had watched two older men be romantic towards Beverly…and one of them was her dad. “No offense, but your dad’s an ass.”

“None taken.” Beverly was feeling her hair and imagining what it would be like gone

“D-d-don’t worry about it.” Beverly turned to Bill. “I-i-it lu-looks great.”

“Thanks Bill.” Beverly still hadn’t let go of her hair. She wasn’t sure if cutting it would be a good idea. But it did look good. Maybe she should? “Maybe I’ll cut it.”

“I believe that would be a fine idea Ms. Marsh.” Richie replied in his British guy accent only to sigh when his friends looked at him awkwardly. “Is it at least getting better?”

Eddie exchanged a look with Stanley who nodded his head. “Yeah Rich, yeah it is.”

“Awesome!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So get ready, the next chapter has Stanley's infamous bathtub scene. Writing the reactions for that will not be easy. Also do you guys think Beverly is going to end up with Ben or Bill (honestly at this point I have no clue). Lastly, let me know what you guys thought of the chapter in the comment section. Next chapter should be up soon!


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Swimming, fortune cookies, and Stanley's bath. Also Stanley and Richie have a conversation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I introduced some new characters into this chapter. If you guys like it, it could become a regular occurrence. Also if you read the notes of the last chapter you know that this chapter is featuring Stanley's death. So read with caution.

**_[At the lake, Richie, Stan, Bill, Ben, and Eddie are heard hawking.]_ **

**Eddie: Lay it out. _[as they stand at the edge of a cliff overlooking the river, Richie spits down into the water and chuckles; Stan follows up]_**

**Richie: Oh, my God. _[Bill lets out a more direct spit]_ So easy.**

“I’m winning!” Richie exclaimed as he elbowed Eddie. “What do you think Eds? Jealous?”

Eddie scoffed. “As if Trashmouth. Watch it, I’m gonna have you beat by the end of this.”

“Does nobody else care that the entire school is seeing us in underwear.”

“And seeing me looking damn good! Isn’t that right ladies?”

“You like a fish who has been out of water too long.” Gretta called causing Beverly to roll her eyes.

“I liked it better when you were muted.”

“Well I liked it better when you were covered in trash.” Gretta snarled before glaring at her friends silently telling them to help her.

Marcia nodded her head and glared at Beverly. “Do you try to be this annoying or does it just come natural to you?”

“Why don’t you just flirt with someone else’s dad? I know you don’t have a mommy but that doesn’t mean you need to run around trying to give me a little brother or sister.”

Sally gasped in shock. “Gretta!”

“What?” Gretta scoffed at her friend before turning back to Beverly. “Everyone knows her mom killed herself to get away from her embarrassment of a daughter.”

Ben got up out of his seat. If it wouldn’t have been girls insulting Beverly, he would have fought for her. Even if he knew he would lose. “Beverly isn’t an embarrassment!”

Gretta snickered as Beverly just sat silently in her chair staring at Ben. “Oh, is Tits your little Prince Charming Beaverly?”

“You’ll find out who her Prince Charming is if you don’t shut the fuck up!” Richie called back to them.

**Eddie: Poor tree. _[Ben spits]_**

**Richie: So easy! _[Eddie's spit merely lands right at his feet]_ Oh, my God, that was terrible. I win.**

**Eddie: You won? _[Ben, Bill, and Stan look at Richie]_**

**Richie: Yeah.**

**Eddie: Did you see my loogie?**

**Richie: That went the farthest!**

**Ben: It's by distance.**

**Eddie: Mass. It's always been mass.**

**Richie: What the-What is mass?**

**Eddie: Who cares how far it goes? It matters how cool it looks, like it's green or it's white, or juicy and fat.**

**Bill: All right.**

**Eddie: Thanks for that.**

Richie narrowed his eyes at the screen before turning to look at Eddie. He turned to look at the ground a millisecond after, he didn’t need anyone to figure out about his crush. “It’s distance.”

“What? Are you kidding?!” Eddie exclaimed. His loogie had looked amazing. Much better than Richie’s crappy looking one.

“Nope.” Richie popped the p and crossed his arms.

“It’s always been mass!” And maybe it hadn’t always been mass. But he had totally won that!

“You made that up!” Richie momentarily forgot about how he was not supposed to look at Eddie, on any boy in the eye.

“No I didn’t!” Eddie turned to look for anyone’s support before his eyes landed on Mike. “I’m right, right Mike?”

Mike eyes widened. He-he wasn’t sure. He’d never played before. “I don’t know.”

“Haven’t you ever played loogie?” Eddie asked before Mike shook his head.

“What?! Mikey man, when we all get out of here that’s what we need to do!” Richie exclaimed. “You can watch me kick Eddie’s ass in person.”

“You won’t kick my-” Eddie stopped, he would come back to that point later. He turned back to Mike. “Do you want to?”

Mike smiled. He had been slightly jealous when he saw all of them other than him and Beverly playing loogie. And he was convinced that Beverly was going to show up in a minute. “Yeah.”

**Bill: Who's first?**

**Ben: That was terrible. _[they look down at the water between five to ten feet below]_**

**Beverly: I'll go. _[the five boys turn around at the sound of her voice as she lets her bike fall on its side, and look at her as she undresses, revealing a white bikini and light blue underwear]_ Sissies. _[she runs right for the edge of the cliff, past the boys, and gracefully jumps off]_**

Mike laughed. “And that’s what you call being showed up.”

“Mike I would never show them up.” Beverly replied through her laughter.

_Meanwhile further in the stands,_

“Unbelievable. Beaverly gets this whole movie about her and I’ve only been in two scenes.” Gretta complained as she slumped back into her seat. “And she literally flirted with my dad. You saw that, right?”

“Well me and Sally have only been in one scene.” Marcia looked down when Gretta glared at her. “But we really wish you were in it more.” Gretta looked at Marcia expectantly. “And she’s a total whore for flirting with your dad, right Sally?”

Sally nodded her head. “Yeah.”

“Will you get you shut up?” Henry asked angrily. This was insane. He was never going to end up in a mental hospital. And he was not going to be some secondary bad guy in some real life horror movie.

Gretta rolled her eyes. “I’m sorry Henry, do you want to try and watch yourself in the mental hospital again?”

“Why don’t you ask your future step-mom Beverly Marsh?” Henry asked before whistling. “Looking good Marsh, remind me to wear a condom when we-” Henry grabbed his crotch. “Fuck.”

“She would never sleep with you Bowers!” Ben yelled angrily causing Beverly to shake her head at him.

“It’s no use Ben. Talking back to them just makes it worse.” Beverly whispered. She was pretending that her entire body didn’t feel sick after Henry Bowers implied that she would ever have sex with him.

**Richie: What the fuck?! _[Beverly descends toward the water, arms flailing, and hits the water with a perfect entry as the boys watch her from the cliff]_ Aw, holy shit! We just got showed up by a girl! **

**Stanley: Do we have to do that now?**

**Eddie: Yes.**

**Beverly: Come on!**

**Stanley: Oh, shit. _[Bill smiles and Ben waves at Beverly]_**

**Bill: _[jumping into the water after Beverly]_ Woo! **

**_[Seconds later, the six of them are having fun splashing each other and just talking. Stan, then Ben, rises from the water, holding Richie on his shoulders, while Bill holds Beverly on his shoulders. Richie and Beverly then try to see who can push the other off.]_ **

**Richie: I already won! We already won! _[off to the side, Eddie dunks Stan in the water; Richie and Beverly grapple with each other, with Richie pushing Beverly backwards; she falls off Bill's back, into the water, with a yelp]_ They're down! Yes! _[Richie raises his arms victoriously]_**

**_[Bill and Beverly watch Ben, Eddie, Richie, and Stan splashing each other for the fun of it. Beverly smiles at Bill, who glances at her, then looks at Ben, who turns toward her.]_ **

**Richie: Ah, fuck! What was that? _[Bill, Ben, and Beverly glance at the other three boys]_**

**Stan: Something just touched my foot right here. _[Eddie, Stan, and Richie look underwater, trying to see what's swimming in their vicinity]_ That work?**

**Eddie: _[as he, Ben, Richie, and Stan form a circle]_ Where are we looking?**

**Richie: _[pointing down at the center of the circle]_ Right here, right here, right here!**

**Bill: _[surfacing after taking a closer look]_ It's a turtle. _[Ben goes underwater so he can see for himself]_**

“There was a turtle in the water?” Mike asked. He had never heard of turtles being present in Derry. Let alone in the quarry.

“That’s what we said.” Stanley stated as he looked at them. He had never heard of turtles being in Derry either, but he knew more about birds than turtles so he could be wrong.

“You don’t think-” Mike stopped talking when he realized how absurd his thought was. There was no way that turtle was the thing talking to them. But then again, he was in a theater filled with people he had hardly ever talked to before today watching a horror movie about him and six other kids.

“What?” Eddie asked.

Mike shook his head. Maybe he would say his theory later. “Nothing.”

**_Richie: [As the waitress comes with fortune cookies] Oh, here we go._ **

**_Eddie: Thank you._ **

**_Ben: Thank you. [Richie, Eddie, and Ben all reach for fortune cookies.}_ **

**_Bill: Rogan-Marsh like, half of my wife’s closet Rogan-Marsh? [Chuckles] That’s huge._ **

**_Beverly: That’s our line. Me and my husband, Tom. [Beverly reaches to grab a fortune cookie]_ **

**_Bill: [Smiles} How long have you been married?_ **

“Did you just ask her how long she’s been married?” Mike asked holding in a small chuckle. He was team Ben, as he established earlier with Richie, but he was starting to think some affair might happen between married Bill and separated Beverly.

“It’s a f-f-fair question!”

“You’re trying to flirt with her! What would-” Richie searched his mind for Bill’s wife’s name before giving up quickly. “Sharon think.”

Bill raised his eyebrows at Richie. He didn’t know what his mom would think. Did Richie even mean his mom? “My m-m-mom?”

“No, your wife.” Richie stated. And sure, half the reason he had chosen the name Sharon was because he knew it would eventually end up at another Eddie married his mom joke.

“I’m not E-E-Eddie. I didn’t m-m-marry my mom.” Bill stated before rolling his eyes. Why was he friends with Richie again?

“Hey!”

“Sorry Eddie.”

Beverly held back a smile. “And I apparently have a big fashion line. If Bill’s movie star wife Sharon has half of my line in her closet.” She remembered all the times she would draw clothes, secretly hoping that one day if she had enough money she would be able to make them herself. Even though her mom had died when she was young she had still been able to pick up sewing. It was something her father didn’t understand so she didn’t do it often.

“I don’t want her name to be Sharon.” Bill complained.

Richie snickered. This was way too fun. “You didn’t name her.”

“You did!”

“I’m not anyone’s daddy,” Richie turned to Eddie. “Unless Mrs. K decides to make an honest man out of me.”

Eddie shook his head and glared at Richie. Maybe not seeing him for 27 years would be a-. Eddie stopped himself, yeah even with no mom jokes it wouldn’t be the best 27 years without Richie. “I will push you off a cliff.”

“But Eddie I already fell for you.” Richie stated with a small smirk. Hopefully it wasn’t obvious that he was serious.

“Beep beep Trashmouth.”

**_Beverly: Hey, we saw your movie by the way [Ben glances over at them looking slightly jealous]_ **

**_Bill: You did?_ **

**_Beverly: Oh my god! It was so good._ **

**_Bill: Oh my god._ **

**_Beverly: It was so scary._ **

**_Bill: [While eating] And the ending sucked?_ **

**_Beverly: [Chuckling] Yeah, it did. I’m sorry._ **

Bill looked at Beverly in amazement. His wife had lied to him about his endings. There was no doubt that other people had too. But Bev hadn’t. “You didn’t lie.”

“Why would I?”

“My wife did.”

“Well,” Beverly smiled at him and had she been closer to him, she would have grabbed his hand. “I’m not her.”

**_Bill: That’s all right. [Beverly smiles at Bill and he smiles back, staring at her momentarily]_ **

**_Beverly: What?_ **

**_Bill: Nothing. This is just weird._ **

**_Beverly: Yeah._ **

**_Bill: Just all this, all these memories, people that I don’t even remember forgetting._ **

**_Ben: I mean, it’s weird, right? Now that we’re all here everything just comes back faster and faster. I mean all of it._ **

**_Beverly: Yeah._ **

**_Richie: Yeah, you know, when Mike called me, I threw up. [Mike looks up knowingly] Isn’t that weird? Like, I got nervous. I got, like, sick and I threw up. [Laughs} I feel fine now. I feel very relieved to be here with you guys. Why is everybody looking at me like this?_ **

**_Eddie: When Mike called me, I crashed my car._ **

**_Bill: Seriously?_ **

**_Eddie: Yeah._ **

**_Ben: Shit man I hear you. I mean, my heart was literally pounding right out of my chest._ **

**_Beverly: I thought it was only me._ **

**_Bill: It was like pure {Bill begins to stutter]_ **

**_Mike: Fear. It’s fear. What you felt._ **

**_Bill: Why did we all feel like that, Mike? You remember something we don’t, don’t you, Mike?_ **

Eddie sighed and crossed his arms. He was pretty sure his involvement with this clown business was somehow going to be Richie’s fault. Even if Richie hadn’t had an interaction with that clown yet…wait was he going to have an interaction with the clown? He probably was. Oh god. “Oh god. Mike is about to remind us about the fucking clown.”

“How did we forget?” Bill asked. How could they ever forget fighting an evil clown?

“Well maybe nothing that bad happened to us.” Ben suggested despite knowing it wasn’t true.

“He killed Georgie, tried to make Stan make it with a painting, and sent Ben egg hunting.” Eddie stated as he began to breathe heavily.

Stanley stopped his jaw from dropping and glared at Eddie. How could somebody even make it with a painting? “It didn’t try to make me make it with a painting.”

Richie smiled at Stan. “Stanley my manly, you know I will never stand in the way of true love. As my lover Sonia says, ‘Eddie can’t come out and play.’”

“That didn’t even make any since dickwad.” Eddie replied before rolling his eyes.

**_{Stanley, Richie, Ben, Bill, and Eddie are looking at Beverly as she sunbathes while Young MC's "Bust a Move" plays on her cassette player. Beverly, seemingly knowing they are looking at her, turns toward them; the boys promptly look away and act natural. Eddie, who was standing next to Ben and Bill goes to sit next to Stanley, while Beverly goes into a sitting position and Richie looks in Ben's bag.]_ **

Beverly giggled and reached past Ben to pat Mike’s shoulder. “You’re the only one.”

“I’d never do that to a lady.” Mike replied as he patted her hand back. Even if he was there he couldn’t see himself staring at Beverly like that. Even though he had only been talking to her for a short period of time, she kind of seemed like his sister.

“And that’s why you’re my favorite!” Beverly high fived Mike.

Richie gave a fake gasp. “Excuse me?”

“After Richie of course.” Beverly corrected herself with a small laugh.

“Thank you.” Richie replied with nod.

**Richie: News flash, Ben. School's out for summer!**

**Ben: _[as Richie reaches into the backpack and pulls out the postcard Ben wrote]_ Oh, that? That's not school stuff.**

**Richie: _[glancing at the postcard and turning it around]_ Who sent you this?**

**Ben: No one. Give it... _[grabbing the postcard from Richie]_ No one.**

**Richie: _[reaching into the backpack and pulling out a book, opening it, and seeing what looks like a newspaper article, covering the Ironworks explosion from the past]_ What's with the history project?**

**Ben: _[as Stan leans forward to take a closer look as well before Richie hands the book to Bill]_ Oh... Well, when I first moved here, I didn't really have anyone to hang out with, so I just started spending time in the library.**

**Richie: _[as Bill looks at the article]_ You went to the library? On purpose?**

**Beverly: _[standing up and walking over to the group]_ Oh, I wanna see.**

**Stanley: _[as Beverly sits down next to Bill]_ What's the Black Spot?**

**Eddie: _[as they look at a picture of the Black Spot from 1962]_ The Black Spot was a nightclub that was burned down years ago by that racist cult.**

**Stanley: The what?**

**Eddie: _[as Bill looks at Beverly and sees her recently cut hair]_ Don't you watch _Geraldo_?**

**Bill: Your-your-your hair... _[Beverly looks at him, like "I don't understand..."]_**

**Ben: Your... Your hair's beautiful, Beverly.**

“Burn! Bill is cut off by Ben!” Richie cheered. He tried to give Ben a high five, forgetting that Ben hated him for a minute. And sighed when Ben just blinked at him.

“Yeah but she is obviously going to choose Bill!” Eddie exclaimed before turning to face Ben. “No offense.”

Ben blinked at him as he finally came to accept this was happening and it wouldn’t be let go until the movie ended. “None taken.”

**Beverly: _[running a hand through her hair and smiling at Ben]_ Oh. Right. Thanks.**

**Richie: Here, pass it. _[extending his hand to Bill, who hands the book back to him; Stan leans closer to take a look]_ Why is it all murders and missing kids?**

**Ben: _[as Eddie turns to face him]_ Derry's not like any town I've ever been in before. They did a study once, and it turns out people die or disappear six times the national average. _[Richie looks at Stan, finding that to be very alarming]_**

**Beverly: You read that?**

**Ben: _[as Bill looks at him]_ And that's just grown-ups. Kids are worse. Way, way worse. _[Stan finds that to be very disturbing]_ I've got more stuff if you wanna see it.**

**Eddie: _[shaking his head and whispering]_ No, no.**

Eddie shook his head quickly. Nope he wasn’t going to believe this. “Kids don’t go missing here. They can’t!”

“But we already saw Georgie and Patrick-”

“It hasn’t happened yet!” Eddie interrupted Beverly. “And-and this could all be fake!”

Richie looked at Eddie sympathetically. “Eds it’s not.”

Eddie sighed and tried not to believe Richie. “How is it real?”

“It just is.” Bill replied. He didn’t really understand it either. He certainly wasn’t enjoying watching real people getting tortured and eaten by clown. But there they were.

**_Mike: Something happens to you when you leave this town. The farther away, the hazier it all gets. But me, I never left. So, yeah. I remember. I remember all of it._ **

**_Beverly: Pennywise._ **

**Eddie: [Breathes shakily] Oh, the fucking clown. Oh shit.**

**Richie: Pennywise.**

**Bill: Mike, you said you wanted our help with something. What was that?**

**Mike: There’s an echo here in Derry that bounces back every 27 years.**

**Eddie: What are you talking about?**

**Mike: Hold on. Listen, listen. We thought we stopped It back then. We thought it was done but-**

**Richie: Mike.**

**Mike: A week ago, a man, Adrian Mellon, slaughtered. A girl, Lisa Albrechet, the other night, went missing.**

**Bill: All right.**

**Mike: There’ve already been others and there will be more.**

**Richie: I don’t want to hear about this shit.**

**Mike: More death. More pain.**

**Ben: Calm down.**

**Bill: Let’s get another drink.**

**Ben: Let him explain. Let him explain.**

**Eddie: Explain it to us Mike.**

**Mike: That echo we might have changed It just like It changed us. But we didn’t stop It. Because It just bounced back. We made an oath. That’s why I brought you back. That’s why you’re here. To finish It. For good.**

**Richie: Well, that shit got dark fast. Thanks Mike.**

“Wait…we have to stop this clown?” Ben asked. How could seven kids fight a clown? How could seven adults fight some It? How could he do fight It?

Eddie looked at the screen in horror. He was going to have to face that thing? Twice? Where was his inhaler? “What does Mike mean by we didn’t stop it?”

“Did we fight that clown?” Beverly asked feeling slightly proud of herself. Even if they did fail the first time.

Bill nodded his head. “We had to have fought the clown.”

“I’m going to have an asthma attack. Where’s my inhaler?”

“Eddie relax.”

Eddie fiddled through his fanny pack until he pulled out his inhaler and took a puff. “I’m good.”

**_[Bill, Beverly, Ben, Richie, Eddie, and Stan bike to Ben's house; Ben, Beverly, Eddie, Bill, and Richie let their bikes fall to the ground and go inside, while Stan (as usual) puts the kickstand down. As they enter the house, a woman is stapling a Missing poster of Patrick Hockstetter to a post as a freight train goes zooming in the background. Entering his room, Ben grabs a magazine, a shirt, and his underwear, throws them in his closet, and closes it.]_ **

**Eddie: Don't freak out, just tell us.**

**_[Beverly, Bill, Stan, Eddie, and Richie enter the bedroom.]_ **

**Richie: Yeah. I heard he has a rollercoaster and a pet chimp and an old guy's fucking bones. Yeah. _[Stan immediately looks at the stuff on Ben's desk; Richie's attention is drawn to the articles and pictures on the wall]_ Whoa, whoa, whoa. Wow!**

**Ben: Cool, huh?**

**Richie: No. No, nothing cool. There's nothing cool. _[Bill looks at one of the cards on the table opposite Ben's bed]_ Oh, this is cool, right here. Wait, no. No, it's not cool. _[Beverly glances at some more articles on the walls]_**

**Stanley: _[pointing at a piece of paper]_ What's that?**

**Ben: _[as Stan, Eddie, and Richie look at him]_ Oh, that? That's the charter for Derry Township.**

**Richie: Nerd alert.**

**Ben: No, actually, it's really interesting. Derry started out as a beaver trapping camp.**

**Richie: Still is, am I right, boys? _[holds up his hand; Stan shakes his head while Eddie merely looks at him]_**

**Ben: _[as Beverly looks at the articles next to the door]_ Ninety-one people signed the charter that made Derry. But later that winter, they all disappeared without a trace.**

“Is that true?” Richie asked momentarily forgetting again that Ben didn’t like him. But-but why wasn’t Ben glaring at him anymore? Had Ben forgiven him?

Ben shrugged. “I don’t know. I haven’t read it yet.”

“But I thought you were the bookworm?” Richie asked again pretending he didn’t notice the majority of his friends—everyone but Ben, had rolled their eyes at that.

Stanley sighed softly. “That doesn’t mean he’s read every book Richie.”

**Eddie: The entire camp?**

**Ben: _[as Bill looks puzzled]_ There were rumors of Indians, but no sign of an attack. Everybody just thought it was a plague or something. _[a picture of the camp is displayed; on the far left is a figure resembling Pennywise]_ But it's like one day everybody just woke up and left. _[Beverly is looking at the other side of the bedroom door in the background]_ The only clue was a trail of bloody clothes leading to the Well House.**

**Richie: _[as Beverly closes the door to reveal what's on the other side]_ Jesus. We can get Derry on _Unsolved Mysteries_.**

**Eddie: _[as Ben turns around to the sound of the door creaking]_ Let's do that. You're brilliant.**

Richie smirked at Eddie and promptly ignoring that it warmed his heart to hear Eddie say that. “Brilliant, huh?”

“I was obviously being sarcastic.” Eddie defended himself quickly. The last thing he needed to do was give Richie a bigger ego.

“You were _obviously_ calling me brilliant.” Richie smiled and crossed his arms. He wished he had a tape recorder so he could've recorded that.

“I was not!”

“What did you just say!”

Eddie cleared his throat as he tried to think of any reason why he would have called Richie brilliant. “I must’ve hit my head.”

“Whatever you say Eds. And you say I’m brilliant!”

**Richie: I might be. _[Beverly reveals that Ben has a New Kids on the Block poster on the back of his bedroom door; Ben mouths at Beverly as she smiles at him and opens the door while the boys talk amongst themselves]_ I don't know. _[Bill continues examining the stuff on the table]_ Maybe he's just trying to make some friends, Stanley.**

**Bill: Where was the Well House?**

**Ben: I don't know. Somewhere in town, I guess. Why?**

**Bill: _[glancing at the articles on the wall]_ Nothing.**

“A New Kids on the Block poster?” Richie asked. It made him wonder why an avid rock listener like himself was g-not straight and Ben who liked boy bands was falling for Beverly. It didn't really seem fair.

Stanley rolled his eyes. “Shut up Richie.” 

“But-”

“Shut up Richie.” Eddie interrupted him.

**Eddie: [Opens fortune cookie] My fortune cookie just says “Could.” [Bill looks down at his fortune suspiciously]**

**Richie: They don’t know how to do fortune cookies here. Mine just says “Guess.”**

“What did Pennywise do to our cookies?” Ben asked nervously. He looked at Richie, who had been given him the weirdest looks for a little while.

Stanley looked at the people at the table, grateful that he wasn’t going to be there for that experience. “It’s sending you a message.”

“Why?” Eddie asked even if he knew the answer. Or at least, thought he did.

“Because It wants to scare us.” Mike answered.

**Bill: You wanna throw that over here? [Bill stands up and breathes deeply as the other begin to hand him their fortunes] What do you got Mikey?**

**Eddie: Wait what?**

**Mike: This is what I’m talking about.**

**Richie: [Reading off the fortunes] “Guess. Cut Not. Could. It.”**

**Mike: It’s a message.**

**Richie: No, “Guess it could not cut.” Why would it guess it could not cut?**

**Ben: Cut what?**

**Richie: Guess it could not cut.**

**Ben: “It” goes in front. There.**

**Eddie: “It could not guess.”**

**Bill: It couldn’t guess?**

**Richie: Could it? No, could it not cut?**

**Eddie: When it says “It” is it talking about It?**

**Bill: Yeah. All right.**

**Eddie: Is that what it means? Is “It” It?**

**Ben: Where does it go?**

**Mike: That’s what I’m talking about.**

**Eddie: It-It could**

**Richie: I don’t know what it fucking means! You fuck with the fortune cookies Mike?**

**Mike: No!**

**Ben: Let him speak man.**

**Mike: This is not me. This is what It does.**

**Eddie: I need my fucking inhaler!  
Richie: What is wrong with you, man? Why’d you call us?**

**Eddie: This is so not funny!**

**Richie: This is not fucking funny!**

**Bill: [Realizing Beverly looks shaken] Beverly?**

**Eddie: This is so not funny. [Everyone turns toward Beverly. She cries a little as she put down her fortune revealing it to say “Stanley” Bill arranges the fortunes to say “Guess Stanley Could Not Cut It.”] Why does it say Stanley? Someone else fucking answer me!**

**[The camera flashes to a bathroom. Stanley is seen in a bathtub breathing heavily. He closes his eyes and remembers Bill asking him if he swore. A younger version of Stanley with his face covered in bandages nodded his head. It flashes back to Stanley in the bathroom looking afraid but cathartic.]**

Bill looked at the screen in confusion. “Why are you in the bathtub?”

“You’re forty and taking a bath?” Richie meant for it to sound like a joke. But the shakiness in his voice was evident. Nothing bad had really happened yet. And he wished he could say that he didn’t feel like something bad was about to happen here.

**Stanley: I swear, Bill. [A tear rolls down his cheek as it flashes back again. It shows Bill cutting Stanley’s hand with a piece of glass and Stanley wincing from the pain before Bill looks back up at him.]**

“Did you just cut him with glass?” Eddie asked horrified. “Do you know-”

“Eds.” Eddie stopped and looked at Richie who was simply shaking his head.

“Why are you telling me to be quiet? Everything is fine Rich. Right Stanley?” Eddie looked at Stanley who seemed to be mesmerized by the screen. His heart began beating fast, faster than It had since this entire movie had started. “Stanley?”

Stanley blinked and looked at Eddie. He had a feeling that he knew what was about to happen. He had seen something similar when he was about Georgie’s age. His mom had just started her job at the hospital, and he had seen a photo. It was in black and white and his mother to this day didn’t know that he had seen it. There were cuts on the woman’s wrists and he had overheard his mother and a doctor talk about a bathtub. He dreamed about the picture sometimes, and sometimes, he would dream he was in the picture instead. He looked back at himself on the screen. He didn’t think he was supposed to feel happy that he was about to watch himself die. But he couldn’t help it. “It’s okay.”

“Of course, it’s okay.” Eddie nervously laughed as he tried to believe the words he was saying. “You, you’re just taking a bath.”

**It flashes back to Stanley in the bathtub, now smiling. His head and his right arm are laying on the edge of the tub. Water is heard dripping as the camera zooms out. The more the camera zooms out it begins to show the water is turning red and there is blood dripping off of Stanley. Blood from his arm falls onto the floor. It is evident that he has killed himself]**

The screen went black and nobody spoke. Nobody moved from their seats. And nobody dared to look at Stanley. He thought about the blood. All the blood that was coming out of his wrist. The blood that had been seen on his younger self. The blood that wasn’t on his hand, or on his wrists then. He looked down at his wrists, almost to make sure that he wasn’t bleeding.

“Please don’t kill yourself.” Stanley turned to Beverly. He was surprised that she was the first one to speak. He was even more surprised that she was in her seat silently sobbing. “I know that there you were scared and-and you were sick. But please-” Beverly stopped and began sobbing louder. “Please don’t.”

It was then when Stanley remembered what the woman’s face looked like. The woman had looked a lot like Beverly, and everyone knew Beverly’s mom had killed herself. He didn’t want to look at Beverly anymore, so he turned away from her. The happiness he had felt a minute ago was now gone and tears began to fall down his face. He turned his head to the ceiling. “C-can I go to the bathroom? Please.”

 _“Go ahead.” Caroline told him as her voice echoed throughout the theater._  
“You’re n-n-not going by y-y-yourself anywhere.” Bill stated. And it was only then that Stanley realized Richie was squeezing his hand with one of his hands while the other one was wrapped around him. It was only then that he realized that Eddie had moved closer to him. It was only then that he realized that Bill was hugging him. All of them were crying…that had never happened before.

“Let’s go” Eddie stated as he, Richie, Stanley, and Bill all got up. It was going unspoken that none of them were going to allow Stanley to go anywhere out of their sight. It was unspoken that they were all going to make Stanley feel better—

“W-w-we love you S-S-Stanley.”

“You’re my best friend.” Richie normally wouldn’t have said that. Especially not in front of Eddie and Bill. Especially not while he was crying. And normally it was unspoken that the actual best friends of the group were Richie and Stanley and Eddie and Bill. Even if Richie had grown much closer to Eddie over the years. Stanley would _always_ be his best friend.

“You’re my best friend too.” Stanley stopped when they got out of the theater. He looked at each of them one by one. “I love you guys.”

“Can you guys let us go to the bathroom alone?” Richie asked. He wasn’t sure if his emotions were spiraling out of control right now. Or if he was going to claim temporary insanity after he did what he was about to do. He glanced at Bill and Eddie. The both looked hesitant but before they could say anything. Richie spoke up again. “Please?”

Stanley nodded his head and Bill and Eddie followed in suit. Stanley followed Richie into the bathroom. He figured that Richie was going to try and tell some joke. Something that Bill and Eddie would most definitely get onto him for. But he didn’t mind. Hearing Richie talk wasn’t as annoying as he made people think it was. The second they reached the bathroom Richie locked the door.

“Do you ever feel like that now?”

Stanley opened his mouth, fully preparing to lie but found himself nodding his head. Tears began falling down his face again. “I-I can’t help it. I just get sad and it doesn’t go away.” Richie wrapped his arms around Stanley and Stanley sobbed into his shoulder. “It always comes back. No matter what I do it always comes back! And I don’t know what to do about it.”

“It’s okay Stan.” Richie took a deep breath and patted Stanley’s back. “I know what it feels like.”

Stanley blinked and broke his hug with Richie. “You do?”

“It isn’t the same. But yeah.” Richie could hear his voice shaking. He knew Stanley was expecting him to continue. “My cousin came to visit a couple of weeks ago, do you remember that?”

Stanley nodded his head. “David, right?”

“Yeah.” Richie could feel himself begin to breathe heavier. Maybe-maybe this wasn’t a good idea. Maybe he should leave out the _exact_ details. “He was staying in my room and he brought-” Richie coughed. It was like his body was trying to physically stop him from doing what he was about to do. “He brought a magazine and he left it there for me when he left.”

“A maga-you made me come in here to tell me you got porn?” Stanley asked as he tried to imagine what Richie was going to say next. Was he going to imply that looking at porn would make him feel better?

“I looked at it. I’ve looked at it every night since he brought it. I can tell you what every girl looks like exac-”

“Richie.”

“Sorry.” Richie sighed. “And nothing ever happens. And I-I don’t want to fuck Eddie’s mom!”

“Richie, you know that none of us actually think that you want to fuck Eddie’s mom.”

Richie nervously laughed. He could feel himself sweating. There was still time to back out of what he was about to do. “You caught me.”

Stanley tilted his head in confusion. “I guess?”

“I-I know we don’t talk about this kinda stuff, but I really have felt that way.” Richie sighed and felt himself shaking. He hadn’t stopped shaking since he saw Stanley in that bathtub. “I feel that way after I have thoughts that I shouldn’t have.”

Was he talking about porn? Stanley held himself back from rolling his eyes. This must’ve been the joke that Richie had come up with. “Because of the porn magazines?”

“Because I don’t think of the girls in those magazines.” Richie stated and god he was going to throw up. He was actually going to throw up like old him had done in the movie.

“What are you saying?”

“That I don’t picture myself with girls.” Richie looked down. “And I understand if you hate me but-”

“I just told you ten minutes ago that I loved you Trashmouth. You’re my best friend.” Stanley interrupted him. He didn’t know what he thought Richie was going to say when they walked in the bathroom. He figured that it would have been some stupid joke that made him roll his eyes and that would make Richie laugh. He certainly hadn’t expected that Richie was going to take him to the bathroom to tell him he was gay and then ask if he hated him. He could never hate Richie. No matter how hard he tried sometimes.

Richie blinked and stared at Stanley in shock. Had he-had he heard Stanley right? “You don’t think I’m sick?”

“I think,” Stanley stopped as the image of himself in the bathtub came into his mind again. “I think that we might both be sick. Because I don’t think the way we both feel sad is normal.”

“So, what do we do?” Richie didn’t give Stanley a chance to say that he wasn’t sure, because he knew what Stanley was going to say. “How about we make a promise?”

“A promise?”

“That if one of starts thinking like that we come to each other.” Richie suggested. He wasn’t sure if it sounded stupid, but it was the best thing that he could come up with.

Stanley nodded his head and hugged Richie again. “I promise Trashmouth.”

“I promise too.” Richie momentarily hugged Stanley back before letting go. “You, you aren’t going to tell anyone, are you?”

“Not if you don’t want me to.” Stanley watched as Richie sighed in relief. “But I think we have to get back to the theater now.”

Back in the theater Beverly was sobbing in her seat. She hated that the only thing she could think about when she had just watched her friend kill himself, was her mother. It was funny, but she could remember everything about the day that Elfrida had taken her own bath. She remembered waking up and her mother making her toast. She remembered how excited she was to be able to watch whatever she wanted on tv. She remembered when her mom went to the bathroom without saying anything. She remembered her dad coming home from work and asking where Elfrida was. She remembered her father’s scream. And she remembered how hard her father had hit her. How loudly he had screamed at her.

“Beverly are you all right?” Ben asked as he grew much more concerned about her. He had started to become worried about her after what she had said to Stanley. But he had only just gotten the nerve to ask her if she was okay.

“That’s how my Mama died.” Beverly whispered.

“That was your mom?”

Beverly nodded her head slowly. “Yeah.”

“You know my dad died when I was a baby.” Ben stated. “My mom says I’m a lot like him though.”

“My dad says I’m nothing like her.” Beverly sighed softly. “He tells me all the time that I look like her, but I’ll never be like her.”

“You dad says that to you?” Mike asked. He had had problems with his grandpa before. But he could never imagine him saying something like that.

Beverly shrugged as she finally wiped her tears away. “That’s how he is.” Beverly turned to the front of the theater where Bill, Richie, Eddie, and Stanley were coming back in. “They’re back.”

“And the movie is starting again.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long, it just took me forever to get a place where I could write it. I hope everyone enjoyed and let me know if you want me to continue with other kids or if I should just stick with the parents and the losers


End file.
